Education
The International Joint Graduate Program in Earth and Environmental Sciences (GP-EES), Tohoku University
The purpose of GP-EES is to foster international researchers with a wide range of perspectives and leadership who are motivated and capable of “understanding the entire Earth”. Program students take lectures specially provided to develop cosmopolitan thinking and interdisciplinary research skills in addition to the regular curriculum. They can receive various kinds of support such as financial support.
Starting in April 2025, graduate students who study in the research field of WPI-AIMEC, aiming to understand and forecast the responses and adaptive mechanisms of marine ecosystems to Earth system dynamics, will also be eligible to apply for GP-EES.
To participate in this program, you must enter one of the following graduate schools or departments at Tohoku University:
Department of Geophysics and Department of Earth Science, Graduate School of Science
Graduate School of Environmental Studies
Department of Agricultural Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural Science
Graduate School of Life Sciences
Graduate School of Information Sciences
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering
For information on GP-EES, please refer to the following link.
ASPIRE Student Program
The WPI-AIMEC JST-ASPIRE project “Research and development of integrative analyses for marine ecosystem change and establishment of an ocean brain-circulation platform” supports the next generation of researchers working to understand how marine ecosystems respond and adapt to Earth-system change.
The ASPIRE Student Program offers selected Tohoku University graduate students the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge interdisciplinary research, gain international experience, and join a global network of ocean scientists. ASPIRE selected students are employed as Research Assistants (RAs) and receive support for extended overseas research stays.
Eligible Applicants
Graduate students at Tohoku University who are:
- Enrolled in the International Joint Graduate Program in Environmental and Earth Sciences (GP-EES, as mentioned above) or
- Students enrolled in one of the programs in Tohoku University Advanced Graduate School
(see link) https://pgd.tohoku.ac.jp/english/degree/
Selection Criteria
Applicants will be selected based on their ability to:
- understand and support the goals of the ASPIRE project
- demonstrate motivation, curiosity, creativity, and strong potential to pioneer the elucidation and prediction of marine ecosystem change through new science and interdisciplinary approaches
- show potential to be active internationally and possess international communication skills
- complete a cumulative 9 to 12 months of research at an overseas partner institution:
- University of Hawaii at Mãnoa, USA
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
- University of California, San Diego, USA
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Germany
(or University of Bremen, Germany) - University of Tasmania, Australia
Support Provided
- RA salary* (approximately 20 hours per month)
- Financial support for living expenses during overseas research stays
Selection Process
Applications are accepted twice per year through internal announcements at Tohoku University. Selection is based on document screening followed by an interview.
*Financial conditions vary depending on existing fellowships and scholarships; applicants must ensure compliance with all relevant programme and scholarship rules.