“Tobitate! Study Abroad Initiative” – a public-private project for promoting overseas study
記者：Mayu Harada （16歳）
Why not take a step forward and see the world for yourself?
Why not explore your interests overseas?
Did you know there is a government program that supports such aspirations?
This article introduces the “Tobitate! Study Abroad Initiative,” a scholarship program that helps students study overseas.
- The Overview
- Four Courses
- How to Get The Scholarship?
- The Attractive Points of This Program
- My Study Abroad Plan
- Summary
The Overview
Tobitate! Study Abroad Initiative (Leap for Tomorrow) is a study abroad scholarship program launched by the Japanese government in collaboration with private companies, involving the whole society since 2013.
This is not just for language learning.
This is a program that supports self-determined research study abroad.
The purpose of this program is:
- Developing leaders for the next generation
- Encouraging study abroad in terms of economy and community
- Creating new role models for studying abroad and updating the Japanese study abroad community
Every year, about 700 high school students are selected for this program and go overseas.
Four Courses
[ My Exploration Course ]
A study abroad plan that includes exploratory activities aimed at “turning the unknown into the known” and “clarifying questions.”
[ Sports and Arts Exploration Course ]
A study abroad plan that includes research activities aimed at formulating questions within the fields of sports and arts and contributing to the further development of those fields.
You can apply for this course even if you do not have experience in sports or arts.
[ STEAM Course ]
A study abroad plan incorporating inquiry-based activities centered on questions within the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) domain.
You can choose one course according to your interests.
[ Social Exploration Course ]
A study abroad plan incorporating inquiry-based activities designed to contribute to social good by setting questions that frame global, national, and regional social issues as personal concerns.
How to Get The Scholarship?
Next, I will explain the process of this program.
To be selected for this program, you must go through document screening and interviews.
If you pass the document screening, you can proceed to the interviews.
One important thing is that the criteria are:
“Passion”
“Individuality”
“Curiosity”
1. Document Screening
We write about our study abroad plan. For example:
- Reason for applying
- Reason for setting the research theme
- Planned activities during study abroad
- Myself after studying abroad
This is a little difficult, but it is an opportunity to face your dreams and what you want to do.
2. Interview Screening
Interview Screening Process
- Presentation based on the study abroad plan (10 minutes)
- Q&A session based on the presentation content (10 minutes)
Usually, we give a presentation using a PC or sketchbook and talk about the study abroad plan.
In the Q&A session, the interviewer will ask questions based on the content of the presentation.
Tobitate highlights the importance of Q&A, as it assesses not only skills but also personality and passion.
The interviewer asked me questions such as:
- What is your future plan after studying abroad?
- When did you become interested in security?
- What is your opinion on Japanese security?
- Why are Japanese young people not interested in security?
It is important to have knowledge and interest in your own research theme.
The Attractive Points of This Program
As I wrote, being selected as a Tobitate scholar is challenging and the selection period is long.
However, I believe Tobitate has more attractive points than these difficulties.
One of the most attractive features of Tobitate is its strong community.
You can join an alumni group that gathers more than 10,000 people, including 700 peers who study abroad during that year.
You can communicate with them not only during study abroad but also after returning home.
The presence of friends who can support each other while studying abroad, where unexpected things are likely to happen, is probably more important than you can imagine.Additionally, each Tobitate student has their own study abroad plan and passion, so by getting to know each other and talking things over, you can gain new insights and see worlds that were previously unseen.
Therefore, I believe “Inspiration” is one of the biggest attractive points in the Tobitate program.
My Study Abroad Plan
Lastly, I will explain my study abroad plan.
My theme of study abroad is “Security.”
Even after the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, awareness of security issues among young Japanese people remains low, and sometimes Japanese people think security is the study of military and warfare.
Additionally, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology does not officially recognize the term “security studies,” and much of it is taught as “peace studies” or “international politics.”
Due to the influence of Article 9 of the Constitution, military security research tends to be considered taboo.
However, naturally, security is the study that prevents war and the concept of protecting the safety of society as a whole.My goal is to explore how security awareness is formed among young people.
For that purpose, I am studying abroad in Finland now and conducting research.
This is because Finland joined NATO in 2023, and data from the Finnish Ministry of Defense shows that young people are actively interested in security itself.
I would like to find the differences in security awareness and the underlying factors.
I hope my research will be a chance for young Japanese people to rethink security again.
Summary
In Japan, there is a government program that supports your aspirations.
This is not only a scholarship, but also a great community.
If you have an interest in a specific field and want to explore it through studying abroad, Tobitate could be the perfect opportunity for you.
I am glad if you become interested in studying abroad and Tobitate through this article.
Reporter’s note: The Tobitate program is not a famous program overseas, so I am glad that I was able to write this article in English. Through this study abroad, I would like to increase my English skill and spread my viewpoint.
Meet the reporter: I am currently studying abroad in Finland.
I’m enjoying the education system and nature in Finland.
In November,I will go to the US to join the World Scholars Cup, and this is a great academic competition, so I would like to write an article about WSC next time.
