Center on Japanese Economy and Business Doctoral Fellowship

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About the CJEB Doctoral Fellowship

If you are currently applying to or are already matriculated in a PhD program either in Columbia Business School or the Columbia University Department of Economics AND are interested in writing a dissertation on the Japanese economy or business-related topics, you are eligible for a Fellowship from Columbia Business School’s Center on Japanese Economy and Business (CJEB) to support your studies.

The CJEB Fellowship program will be flexible depending on specific needs and circumstances; we envisage the following: What CJEB offers Fellowship recipients:

Full funding support in line with that provided by the PhD program in Columbia Business School and the Columbia University Department of Economics
Additional funds as necessary to travel to Japan for research or to pursue Japanese language programs
Access to extensive Japan-related research databases
Opportunities for interaction and study with an extensive network of Japanese corporate, academic, and government contacts
Mentorship and guidance on research by leading experts on the Japanese economy and business systems

Criteria for receiving a CJEB Doctoral Fellowship (two entry points)

For incoming PhD students accepted by Columbia Business School or the Department of Economics:

The candidate’s essay or letter of motivation submitted with application to the PhD program should include a description of the candidate’s interest and experience in Japan studies

For current PhD students in Columbia Business School or the Department of Economics:

The candidate should indicate interest in Japan studies to his/her doctoral advisor and contact CJEB with intended topics of focus for research

Recipients of CJEB Fellowships (both from recently accepted PhD student and current PhD student pools) will be selected based on merit by the relevant PhD faculty and CJEB faculty.

Yearly requirements for CJEB Doctoral Fellowship recipients

The fellowship recipient must ultimately demonstrate Japanese language ability through the 4th year level at Columbia or attain a level of N2 on the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. He or she will be expected to take 2 language courses per year (and/or summer courses) until 4th year mastery is attained. Continued language study until 4th year proficiency is achieved is a prerequisite for each year of funding.

NOTE: For all fellowship recipients who enter Columbia with Japanese language capability that already exceeds 4th -year proficiency, CJEB expects one substantial research paper on the Japanese economy or business environment to be submitted by September 1 each year until completion of the program. This may be done as a requirement for a course. Papers must be reviewed and approved by the Director of CJEB in order to continue to receive funding.
The fellowship recipient’s dissertation must focus in significant part on the Japanese economy and/or business environment.

If either of these criteria are NOT met at any point, CJEB reserves the right to discontinue the fellowship support for future years.

Application procedure/Due date

Candidates must first apply to the doctoral program in either Columbia Business School or the Columbia University Department of Economics before being considered for the CJEB Doctoral Fellowship.

CJEB must be notified by Columbia Business School or the Department of Economics of any new applicants for the CJEB Fellowship by FEBRUARY 15 each year.

Logistical Notes

The CJEB Fellowship is open to U.S. and non-U.S. citizens admitted to the doctoral programs at Columbia Business School (any division) or the Columbia University Department of Economics.
Flexibility in program requirements, length, and support can be negotiated on a case by case basis.

Contact and Info

If you have any questions, please contact Ryoko Ogino, Managing Director, at [email protected].