Scholarship in Japan : 2008 Asian Youth Fellowship (AYF)

Asian Youth Fellowship (AYF) 2008 Program aims to nurture human networking among ASEAN countries, Bangladesh and Japan.

The AYF preparatory course before entering Japanese Graduate School as Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) scholarship student is offered by The Japan Foundation. AYF program is open to university graduates in the region who wish to contribute to regional cooperation after obtaining a Master and/or Ph. D. Degree in Japanese Graduate Schools as follows:

1. Features of the Asian Youth Fellowship Program

AYF consists of the following component:

q Coordination of a host professor and research plan development during the preparatory course in Japan

q Preparatory course (Japanese Language and cultural activities)

q Follow ups after completing the preparatory course

The scholarship grantees shall receive a preparatory course in the Japanese language for approximately 7 months, at The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai, Japan. The preparatory course is developed for people who have never learned Japanese language before. Grantees are provided with dormitory. Accompanying family is NOT allowed during the preparatory course.

*After completing the preparatory course, grantees will be proceeding to Japanese graduate schools as Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) scholarship students (principally Research Student) from April 2009.

2. Field of Study

q Any of the fields in Humanities, Social Sciences, Engineering and Natural Science is acceptable..

q Students pursuing study areas that would contribute to his/her country or region will be given preference.

* Technical training course is excluded.

3. Qualifications

（1） Nationality: Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand or Vietnam.

（2） Age: under 35 years of age as of April 1, 2009 (i.e. born on or after April 2, 1974)

（3） Academic Backgrounds: university or college graduates with a bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree

(those who will graduate from a university or college by the Registration Day of AYF may apply, but the grants may be CANCELLED if grantees fail to arrive in Kansai on the starting day of the preparatory course.)

（4） Other requirements:

a. Good proficiency in English is required.

b. Military men and military civilian employees registered on the personnel list are excluded.

c. Applicants should be in good health.

d. The applicant whose spouse has already won a Japanese Government scholarship will not be selected as a grantee, and likewise in the case of a couple applying at the same time.

e. The applicant who has been awarded a Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) scholarship in the past will not be selected as a grantee unless he/she has had a few years' research or teaching experience after returning to his/her country.

4. Grant Coverage during the Preparatory Course

（1） Expenses necessary for participation in the official curriculum (transportation, teaching material, etc.)

（2） Meals during the program (partly in the form of cash allowances) and a set amount of allowances to cover miscellaneous living expenses.

（3） Accommodation (a single room) at the Institute

（4） Overseas travel insurance for disease and injury for the duration of the program

（5） Round-trip, economy-class airline between the nearest international airport from the residence and Kansai International Airport (Osaka, Japan) on the most direct and economical route.

（6） Japanese visa as a trainee

*The above terms of the grant will be effective for the period of the preparatory course. After completing the AYF Program, grantees will proceed to Japanese universities as the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) scholarship students. Allowances, accommodations, and other status are subject to Monbukagakusho’s regulations.

5. Selection

(1) Japanese diplomatic missions concerned, in cooperation with the foreign governments concerned, will select preliminary candidates from among applicants by means of a review of the documents submitted.

(2) Those who have been selected as the preliminary candidates will be recommended to Asian Youth Fellowship Committee, Tokyo, Japan. The Committee will select grantees from among the preliminary candidates by means of an interview made in their respective countries by a mission member assigned and dispatched by the Committee.

(3) Final announcement in writing will be provided by the Embassy of Japan after the AYF Committee. The grantees of the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) scholarship for 2009 will be finally selected, on condition that they have completed the AYF preparatory course successfully, after the university placement has been made.

6. Application Procedure

Applicants must submit the following documents according to the instruction given by the Embassy of Japan in their own country by the date appointed. The documents submitted will not be returned.

DEADLINE: (Please contact the Embassy of Japan in your country) September - November * 2007

For Dateline and more information please contact the Embassy of Japan in your country or visit website (http://www.asiaseed.org/ayfj/) before submitting the application.

Australia - nternational Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS), Swinburn University of Technology

IPRS are funded by the Australian Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). IPRS are open to citizens of all overseas countries (excluding New Zealand ). IPRES cover tuition fees only and are available for either Doctoral or Masters level research.

Closing date: All applications for Swinburne research scholarships close on the last Friday of October each year.

Swinburne qualifications are highly regarded and research positions are prized by the academic community.

To qualify for candidature for higher degree by research, you must have completed at least four years (or equivalent) of tertiary education studies at a high level of achievement. For example:

• a four year degree (eg: engineering,Information Technology, education etc.);
• a three year degree and an Honours year;
• a three year degree and one year of a Masters by coursework;
• a three year course and one year of a Masters preliminary or other qualifying program; or
• a three year degree and a postgraduate diploma

Plus students must demonstrate English Language proficiency: IELTS (Academic Module) of 6.5 with no band below 6.0, or TOEFL 575 (paper-based) or 232 (computer-based) with TWE 5.0.

If you are already studying a Masters degree and wish to convert to a PhD, you will only be considered for a scholarship for a PhD program after advice from DEST.

How to Apply
Step 1:
Consult our Key Areas of Research website to determine whether Swinburne covers your area of research interest.

Step 2:
Complete an Application for Admission to Research Higher Degree Candidature and Scholarship. For information refer to the Office of Research and Graduate studies website.

Submit this form to Swinburne International:

By mail or courier:
Swinburne International
PO Box 218 Hawthorn
Victoria AUSTRALIA 3122
Ph: +61 3 9214 8712

By fax:
Facsimile: +61 3 9818 3648
(Remember to mail the original application and supporting documents to Swinburne International office at the address above.)

In person:
Swinburne International
Level 1, Swinburne Place, West Building
Hawthorn, Victoria 3122

By email:
You can scan your application forms in and email them.

Deadline: the last Friday of October each year

For more information and application form, please visit the official announcement.

Luxembourg: PhD Studentship in Computer Science, The University of Luxembourg

The University of Luxembourg is looking within its Computer Science and Communications Research Unit for a :

PhD STUDENT in Computer Science (M/F) Ref : R1F107K30
4-year job (consisting of two 2-year contracts) 40 hours/week

on the topic of reasoning and formal argumentation in the field of trust management

Reasoning about trust is a process that often involves the application of rules of thumb, general guidelines or argument and counterargument. During recent years, the field of formal argumentation has produced a range of formalisms, as well as software implementations, to deal with issues such as nonmonotonic reasoning, decision making and agent communication.
In this context, the University of Luxembourg is currently setting up a research project (Advanced Argumentation Techniques for Trust Management, AASTM) to apply the approach of formal argumentation to the issue of trust management.

The work consists of two parts :

• The formation of a formal theory on argumentation for trust management
• An implementation of this formal theory as set of software components

Requirements :

• M. Sc in Computer Science, artificial intelligence or mathematics (no older than 5 years)
• Strong programming skills
• Although a background on formal argumentation is not necessary, candidates should preferably be familiar with various forms of formal logic and theoretical computer science.

The position is associated with an annual salary between 23400 and 25450 euro after tax, depending on the profile of the candidate.

Applications mentioning the reference number are to be sent no later than September, 30th 2007 and should include a letter of motivation, a complete CV and a copy of the M. Sc. Diploma including a transcript of courses taken (with grades) and the names and contact details of two referees. These are to be submitted by e-mail to Prof. Dr. Leon Van der Torre (leon.vandertorre[ at ]uni.lu) and Dr.Martin Caminada (martin.caminada[ at ]uni.lu)

Any enquiry concerning this position can be sent to Martin Caminada.

The University of Luxembourg is an equal opportunity employer.

Deadline: September, 30th 2007

Australia: PhD Scholarships in Applied Statistics, the University of Wollongong

Applications are invited for three full-time PhD scholarships (2 x Australian Postgraduate Award - Industry) and (1 x University Postgraduate Award and HDR Tuition Fee Exemption Scholarship), tenable at the University of Wollongong within the Faculty of Informatics. The APA(I) scholarships are funded by an ARC Linkage Project grant, New Methods for Small Group Analysis from Sample Surveys, awarded to Professor Ray Chambers and Professor David Steel of the University of Wollongong. The industry partners are the Methodology Division of the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, the Centre for Epidemiology and Research at NSW Health and the Public Health Intelligence unit at the New Zealand
Ministry of Health.

Accurate data for population sub-groups and between small areas are fundamental to good policy decisions in health, environment, economics and social issues. Unfortunately, national and state averages of statistics on unemployment, salinity, drought impact, and health often hide large differences at lower levels of aggregation. This local variation needs to be understood so that effective policies can be developed and carried out efficiently and their impact monitored. Using statistical models that combine survey data with other information about the groups of interest, this project will develop robust and efficient methods for providing information on these variations using data from large-scale national and state surveys. In particular, the aim will be to create new cost-effective methods that address the increasing demand for high quality statistics about the distribution of important social, economic, health and environmental variables within local areas and small population sub-groups. Implications for survey design for outputs at these levels will be determined, as will robust and efficient methods for analysing these data. This will lead to significant improvements in the data available for such groups and areas, allowing better targeting of policies aimed at addressing local differences.

The students involved in the project will develop skills in sample survey analysis, the theory and methods of modeling data with group
structure and methods for small area estimation. Many of these topics are at the forefront of statistical research. The project will involve the development of innovative methodologies that will be directly applicable by the industry partners as well as by other organisations of great practical importance to Australia.

The students will work in a vibrant and growing research centre, the Centre for Statistical and Survey Methodology, at the University of Wollongong. The Centre comprises 10 academic statisticians, including four professors, and 15 PhD students. The project will involve joint work with, and visits to, the industry partners in Canberra, Sydney and Wellington, which will enhance the quality and relevance of the research and will provide the student with valuable insights into applied statistical research in government agencies.

The value of the APA(I) scholarships are currently AUS$25,627 per year for three years. The UPA will also provide a stipend of AUS$25,627 per year for 3 years while the HDR Tuition Fee Exemption Scholarship will cover the full fee charged by the University for the degree of the PhD for 3 years. There may be opportunities to supplement this with tutoring or other casual work. Additional funding is available for computing equipment and travel. The project involves collaboration with researchers at the University of Pisa in Italy and the Centre also has close ties with the University of Manchester and the University of Southampton in the UK and there may be opportunities for students to visit these institutions.

APA(I) scholarships are open only to Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents and New Zealand citizens. However, the UPA is also open to international applicants. Applicants should have an Honours 1 or 2(1) degree in Statistics, or an equivalent qualification, by the end of 2007, strong research potential and be able to commence by the end of February 2008. Applications, including a curriculum vitae, academic transcript and contact details of two or more referees should be sent to Prof Ray Chambers, Centre for Statistical and Survey Methodology, School of Mathematics and Applied Statistics, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522.

Closing date: Friday September 28, 2007.

Australian and New Zealand citizens and Australian permanent residents should also include proof of citizenship or permanent residency.

We welcome enquiries about the project or the Centre. For more information, please contact Professor Ray Chambers, ph (61) 2 42213809, email ray[ at ]uow.edu.au or Professor David Steel, ph (61) 2 42213823, email dsteel[ at ]uow.edu.au

UK: DPhil Studentship in Medical Image Analysis, University of Oxford

DPhil Studentship Medical Image Analysis (Breast Cancer) Department of Engineering Science

The Department seeks to recruit a research student to work on an EPSRC funded project which is a collaboration with research groups in UCL, Manchester University and the Institute of Cancer Research. The aim of the project is to develop computational methods for comparing pairs of x-ray mammograms.

The successful applicant will have a first class honours degree in a relevant subject i.e. engineering, mathematics, Computer Science or physics and evidence of strength in mathematics and computation. Proven capability to undertake research in medical image analysis and a demonstratable ability to develop mathematical algorithms in a modern computing environment eg Matlab, C++ under Linux/Windows is also essential. Evidence of having completed an independent project successfully during undergraduate studies or other work experience together with the ability to work effectively as part of a team and write clear, correct and concise English is desirable. An ability to make clear, well illustrated presentations of scientific material would be advantageous.

Remuneration will be £12,600 pa in 2007/08 (and will increase in subsequent years) and fees will be covered for UK and EU nationals. Additional fees may be payable for overseas nationals.

Candidates are expected to meet the criteria for Graduate Admissions and must make a graduate application at the same time as applying for this studentship.

http://www.eng.ox.ac.uk/postgrad/criteria.pdf

Further particulars may be obtained from:

Mr C J Scotcher, The Senior Administrator, University of Oxford, Department of Engineering Science, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PJ; or to administrator@eng.ox.ac.uk, to whom written applications should be made enclosing a curriculum vitae and the names and addresses of two referees. Your letter should explain your interest in and relevant experience for this job.

Please quote DF07052 in all correspondence.

The closing date for applications is 17th September 2007

Germany: PhD Position in Simulation of Colloids at Department of Mechanical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University

PhD position in Simulation of Colloids at RWTH Aachen University

The Chair for Computational Analysis of Technical Systems in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the RWTH Aachen University seeks a 50% scientific co-worker (TV-L 13 salary scale). The position will support the German Science Foundation focus program SPP 1273 “Colloid Process Technology” project “CFD Modeling of Colloidal Aggregates”.

The candidate is expected to conduct research leading to a doctoral thesis in the area of method and model development for simulation of colloidal aggregates (collection of spherical particles) in shear flows. The research will support the development of reduced mechanistic models that should be able to predict coalescence and breakup of the aggregates in a stochastic sense, in close
collaboration with a partner project at Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems in Magdeburg.

For more details, please see:

http://www.cats.rwth-aachen.de:8080/jobs/spp1273-ad.pdf
http://www.cats.rwth-aachen.de/jobs/bat

Applications are being reviewed now. The position is expected to be filled in the second half of 2007. Application materials and inquiries should be directed to:

Prof. Marek Behr (behr[ at ]cats.rwth-aachen.de).

The position will be associated with the graduate school Aachen Institute for Advanced Study in Computational Engineering Science established at the RWTH Aachen under the Excellence Initiative of the German federal and state governments. The half-time position is especially suitable for persons with family commitments; limited child-care support is available.