The Sakuko Matsui Australia-Japan Friendship Scholarships

1. Background

a. The Scholarship is funded by a generous donation from Associate Professor Sakuko Matsui to support students of the University of Sydney to foster cultural, linguistic and intellectual engagement between Australia and Japan.

2. Eligibility

a. Applicants must be either:

I. a domestic student who is currently enrolled to study in an undergraduate or postgraduate research degree in Japanese Studies, within the School of Languages and Cultures, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney. Japanese studies includes, without limitation, all studies related to Japanese modern and premodern culture, history, language, society and literature, or

II. an international student from Japan, who is currently enrolled to study at the University of Sydney and who reside or are intending to reside at the Women’s College.

3. Selection Criteria

a. The successful applicant will be awarded the Scholarship on the basis of:

I. academic merit,

II. area of study and/or research proposal,

III. a personal statement that addresses the reason for application for the scholarship, relevance of travel to Japan for studies (if applicable), and description of their financial situation (if applicable),

IV. a detailed budget* (if applicable),

V. financial hardship (if applicable), and

VI. proof of residency or intended residency at The Women’s College (if applicable).

*budgets must include an amount for travel insurance for all flights and accommodation relating to the proposal if the funds are used for travel.

b. Preference will be given to applicants in the below categories. Preference will be given in the order of 3.b.I. and/or 3.b.II, 3.b.III and then 3.b.IV.

I. domestic postgraduate research applicant for the purposes of travel to Japan in connection with their research studies, and/or

II. domestic undergraduate or postgraduate research student who can demonstrate financial need,

III. domestic postgraduate research applicant who resides at The Women’s College and is intending to travel to Japan in connection with their research studies,

IV. international applicants who are from Japan and who reside or are intending to reside at The Women’s College.

c. The Scholarship will be awarded by a selection committee consisting of:

I. the Chair of the Japanese Studies or their nominee, and

II. at least two other academic members of staff within the Department of Japanese Studies.

4. Value

a. The Scholarship will be valued at a maximum value of $8,000.

b. The exact value of the Scholarship will be stipulated in the Scholarship Offer Letter to the recipient.

c. The Scholarship will be paid as a one-off payment upon receipt of the Scholarship Acceptance Form.

d. The Scholarship cannot be used for another purpose.

e. No other amount is payable.

f. The Scholarship will be offered subject to the availability of funding.

5. Termination

a. The Scholarship will be terminated if the recipient:

I. withdraws from an eligible course or fails to enrol,

II. does not maintain satisfactory academic performance,

III. is determined by the University to be guilty of serious misconduct, including, but not limited to, having provided false or misleading information as part of their Scholarship application, or

IV. does not resume study at the end of a period of approved leave.

b. For postgraduate research students, the Scholarship will also be terminated:

I. upon submission of the thesis or at the end of the award, or

II. upon the recipient having completed the maximum candidature for their degree as per the University of Sydney (Higher Degree by Research) Rule 2011 Policy.

c. Once the Scholarship has been terminated, it will not be reinstated unless due to University error.

d. Where a student is found guilty of serious misconduct or the Scholarship is terminated under any instance in the Termination Clause of these terms and conditions, the University reserves the right to request that any Scholarship funds paid to the Scholarship recipient be reimbursed.