UTAR alumna is Japan govt scholar

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) alumna Liew Li Wen, who graduated recently, was awarded a scholarship by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT) to pursue a master’s degree in Environmental Sciences at the prestigious University of Tsukuba.

The Monbukagakusho: MEXT 2024 Scholarship was presented to her by Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia His Excellency Takahashi Katsuhiko during the pre-departure orientation dinner on March 22 at a hotel in Petaling Jaya.

Liew, who represented the other recipients to deliver a speech at the ceremony, was also named Japan Graduates’ Association of Malaysia (Jagam) student ambassador to Asean Council of Japan Alumni (Ascoja) and Asia Japan Alumni International (Asja) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Liew said she will be attending the Japan Student Services Organization (Jasso) Japanese language preparatory course in Shinjuku for six months, followed by another six months as a non-regular student at the University of Tsukuba. Upon passing the entrance exam, she will enrol in the master’s programme at the university.

She expects to complete her studies in three years.

MEXT scholarships, for students pursuing bachelor’s and master’s degrees across a wide range of educational institutions, cover various expenses including tuition fees, accommodation, monthly living allowances, and round-trip airfare.

Candidates applying for a master’s programme are required to possess a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and should be under 35 years of age, demonstrating proficiency in either English or Japanese language.