Testimonials from a former participant

A truly unforgettable year! The Vulcanus year was a formative experience, providing me with both exposure to advanced technology and also a better appreciation of other areas such as culture and business. It is a very practical programme, and people can expect to put their technical skills to use during the internship. I learned a lot during my placement at Dai Nippon Printing where I worked with very recent mobile phone technology. My colleagues were very warm and made me feel part of the team, this was a very important part of the experience to me. I believe that this programme is an exceptional opportunity to garner a better grasp of one's technical interests and develop various transferable skills."

Nikolai SULTANA (MT), University of Malta Vulcanus in Japan 2005-2006, Dai Nippon Printing

What is it?

Vulcanus in Japan started in 1997. The programme consists of industrial placements for EU students. It starts in September and ends in August of the following year in order to accommodate the academic year in EU Member States.
The students follow:

• a one-week seminar on Japan,
• a four-month intensive Japanese language course,
• and then an eight-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.

Are you eligible?

At the time of application, you must be both:

• an EU citizen
• a student of engineering or science in at least the third year of a course at an EU University *.

In accordance with the regulations of their respective universities, the students will be either undergraduates or postgraduate students who are able to take a year out - as a recognised part of their course or as a year off - or postgraduates.
* Computer science, science engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical, electronics, biotechnology, electrical engineering, physics, telecommunication, nuclear engineering, civil engineering, metal materials, ceramics, production system,…

Who pays what

This programme is financed by the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation and the Japanese host company. The European students are awarded a grant (Yen 2.000.000) to cover the cost of travel to and from Japan and living expenses in Japan. There is no charge for the language course and seminar, and accommodation is provided free of charge during the course and seminar and the company traineeship.

Selection criteria

Applicants are selected 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.