The organization of the Vulcanus Programme is pending reception of a grant by the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation for the Japanese fiscal year 2024-2025: Please note that this call is subject to the award and signature of the EU Grant Agreement and may therefore be adjusted/cancelled if needed.

WHAT IS IT?

Vulcanus in Japan started in 1997. The programme consists of industrial placements for  students in engineering or other scientific fields. It is open to EU nationals and to citizens of SMP associated countries *. It starts in August and ends in March of the following year.

The students follow:

• a seminar on Japan,
• a two-month intensive Japanese language course,
• and then a six-month traineeship in a Japanese company.

OBJECTIVES

• To study the range of advanced technologies employed by a leading Japanese host company.
• To learn Japanese and to understand and appreciate Japanese culture with a view to an enriching one year experience abroad.
• To be well placed in your future career to interact with Japanese businesses and people.

WHO PAYS WHAT

The EU-Japan Centre covers costs directly related to the internship: costs for providing lectures on Japan and Japanese language course.

The host company provides accommodation throughout the entire stay in Japan.

Students will also benefit from a pro-rata grant that is expected to be around € 8200 (in principle to be paid in Yen), to partially support the cost of travel to and from Japan, personal insurance and living expenses in Japan. The grant will be split into several instalments.

(In case of partial remote attendance of the programme from Europe, due to entry bans, conditions will be informed later on).

ARE YOU ELIGIBLE?

You must be:

(*) Non EU ? Please check the status of your country at https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/smp/guidance/list-3rd-country-participation_smp_en.pdf . For EFTA countries, please only refer to the sub-paragraph: "COSME strand (SMP COSME)". For EU Acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates, please only refer to the countries for which the agreement is in force.

SMP COSME: Stands for "Countries Participating in the COSME strand of the Single Market Programme". The Single Market Programme is the European Commission programme that has been funding the EU-Japan Centre, including its “Vulcanus in Japan” action, starting from 1 April 2022.

(**) Computer science, mechanical engineering, chemical, electronics, biotechnology, electrical engineering, physics, telecommunication, nuclear engineering, civil engineering, metal materials, ceramics, production system, GNSS, etc. (this programme does not cover non scientific studies)

SELECTION CRITERIA

Applicants are short-listed on the basis of their academic record and the opinion of their tutors, their knowledge of written and spoken English, their motivation, their attitude to EU-Japan relations and their ability to adapt to a different culture. The final say lies in the hands of the Japanese host companies. (for more information: click here)

DATES OF THE CALL

Session: AUG 2024 - MAR 2025 -->  indicative opening date: 10 November 2023 / DEADLINE to apply: 20 January 2024

HOW TO APPLY 

What documents should you submit? How should you apply? 

Please read the documents available in the box on the left of this webpage, headed "Vulcanus documents". 

The application form for session 2024-2025 will be available online starting from about 10 November 2023.

Before applying, please read our Privacy Policy 

TESTIMONIALS FROM FORMER PARTICIPANTS

	Ms Sarah MOUGHARBEL (FR)  VinJ Trainee at Fujitsu Lab Ltd. "Taking part in the Vulcanus in Japan program has allowed me to spend a year during which every second was a mental, social and cultural stimulation" Read more
	Ms Madalina IOVANICA (RO) VinJ Trainee at Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation  "I applied for Vulcanus in Japan with the mindset that the program would, for sure substantially, improve my professional skills and stimulate my personal growth. And so it happened." Read more