Kategori: Beasiswa dan tip studi/belajar/kuliah/sekolah di jepang
Oleh SUHARDJA D. WIRAMIHARDJA
MELALUI internet kita bisa memperoleh informasi tentang berbagai macam sumber beasiswa untuk belajar di Jepang. Salah satu program yang dicanangkan PM Nakasone pertengahan 1980-an adalah memasuki milenium tiga jumlah mahasiswa asing yang belajar di Jepang diharapkan mencapai angka 100.000 orang.
Namun, dari data Monbukagakusho (Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Sains dan Teknologi Jepang) memasuki awal milenium ini baru tercatat sekira 80.000 mahasiswa asing yang sedang menuntut ilmu di Negeri Sakura ini dalam berbagai jenjang dengan bermacam sumber biaya. Mayoritas 86,6% dengan biaya sendiri/beasiswa swasta, 1,7% biaya pemerintah masing-masing, dan sisanya 11,6% mendapat beasiswa dari Monbukagakusho.
Indonesia menduduki tempat keenam di bawah Cina, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, dan Thailand dengan jumlah 1.400 orang (1.8%). Dari jumlah ini lebih dari 600 orang memperoleh beasiswa Pemerintah Jepang. Selebihnya dengan biaya sendiri atau dengan beasiswa swasta.
Dari total mahasiswa asing di Jepang, 60% belajar ilmu sosial, humaniora, seni, dan ekonomi. Hanya 4,8% dalam bidang rekayasa (engineering), 2,8% bidang pertanian, dan 2,3% bidang sains. Sisanya belajar kedokteran, dll.
Sedangkan dari Indonesia sendiri, mayoritas mereka yang dikirim pemerintah dengan beasiswa Monbukagakusho belajar dalam bidang rekayasa, pertanian, kedokteran, dan sains. Program pengiriman mahasiswa Indonesia ke Jepang telah dimulai tahun 1940-an, kemudian disusul dengan program pampasan perang awal tahun 1960-an. Setelah itu diikuti program beasiswa Monbusho (sekarang Monbukagakusho), dan kini makin banyak sumber-sumber beasiswa yang ditawarkan.
Berdasar jumlah mahasiswa asing, Tokyo Daigaku (Tokyo University) menempati urutan pertama dengan 1.982 orang. Disusul Kyoto Daigaku (1.123), Nagoya Daigaku (1.086), Tsukuba Daigaku (1.011), Osaka Daigaku (936), Kyushu Daigaku (872), Tohoku Daigaku (865), Tokyo Kogyo Daigaku (Tokyo Institute of Technology, 781), Hiroshima Daigaku (759), dan Kobe Daigaku (713).
Jepang dikenal sebagai salah satu negara yang paling mahal. Untuk sedikit memberi gambaran, lihat beberapa contoh ini. Satu kilogram beras harganya 400 yen (Rp 30.000,00), Coca Cola kaleng 120 yen (Rp 9.000,00). Kalau kita makan di restoran sederhana tak kurang 600 yen (Rp 45.000,00). Harga di kantin universitas tentu lebih murah dibanding di luar. Sewa apartemen (luas 10 meter2) perbulan kira-kira 40.000 yen (Rp 3.000.000,00) di luar uang kunci dan uang jaminan yang dibayarkan pada awal perjanjian yang besarnya antara 4-6 kali sewa bulanan.
Tingginya biaya hidup ini menyebabkan sangat sedikit orang asing yang belajar di Jepang murni dengan biaya sendiri. Sebenarnya banyak beasiswa yang hanya untuk bantuan biaya hidup saja, berarti harus ada sumber lain yang lebih utama. Mahasiswa dengan beasiswa semacam ini harus membayar uang kuliah sendiri, berbeda dengan penerima beasiswa Monbukagakusho yang sudah sekaligus membayar uang kuliah.
Pada dasarnya ada dua macam beasiswa yang tersedia, yaitu beasiswa yang pengajuannya dilakukan di Indonesia dan beasiswa yang hanya bisa diperoleh kalau kita sudah berada di Jepang. Informasi lengkap tentang sumber beasiswa ini dapat dilihat di www.jasso.go.jp dan www.id.emb-japan.go.jp. Kira-kira ada 20 sumber beasiswa yang lamarannya bisa diajukan di Indonesia dan lebih dari seratus untuk mereka yang sudah berada di Jepang, baik yang berasal dari Monbukagakusho, pemerintah daerah, maupun swasta. Besarnya beasiswa berkisar antara 50.000-an yen sampai dengan 275.000 yen.
Beasiswa paling "favorit" dari Monbukagakusho karena selain jumlah cukup banyak, juga cukup besarnya uangnya. Beasiswa ini terbagi ke dalam dua jalur.
G to G
Jalur pertama, G to G (government to government), yaitu ditawarkan Pemerintah Jepang kepada Pemerintah Indonesia melalui Kedutaan Besar Jepang yang berjumlah sekira 80. Pada awal tahun, program G to G ini oleh Dirjen Pendidikan Tinggi (Dikti) disebarkan ke semua Perguruan Tinggi (PT) di Indonesia. Pelamar dicalonkan oleh PT dengan surat pengantar dari pimpinan PT tsb. Lamaran harus sudah masuk ke Dikti pertengahan Mei tiap tahunnya.
Beasiswa G to G ini juga ditawarkan kepada departemen lain dan lembaga riset seperti LIPI, LAPAN dsb. Untuk memperoleh beasiswa ini tidaklah mudah. Pelamar bersaing ketat satu sama lainnya. Untuk memperebutkan 50 beasiswa (tingkat pasca sarjana) kira-kira 400-an orang yang mengajukan lamaran dari seluruh Indonesia.
Pada dasarnya dalam mengisi formulir hendaknya diperhatikan secara jeli arahan pada setiap pertanyaan yang diajukan. Hal yang sangat penting dan merupakan keharusan adalah surat rekomendasi dan surat pernyataan penerimaan (letter of acceptance) dari calon profesor pembimbing di Jepang lengkap dengan alasan dan komentar mengenai usulan penelitian yang akan dilakukan di Jepang. Di sini memang diperlukan komunikasi yang intens dengan calon profesor sebelum lamaran diajukan. Kualitas usulan penelitian ini memegang peranan penting dalam persaingan selain IP dan kemampuan berbahasa Inggris atau bahasa Jepang untuk mereka yang bidangnya Sastra Jepang.
Bagaimana caranya memperoleh calon profesor pembimbing? Yang paling baik adalah diperkenalkan oleh senior kita yang pernah atau sedang belajar di sana. Kalau kita tidak punya senior, bisa melihat jurnal ilmiah atau katalog berbagai PT di Jepang. Memburu profesor ini bisa juga dilakukan melalui internet. Hanya masalahnya tidak semua profesor mau meresponsnya. Dan mungkin, mereka tidak mau mengambil risiko memberi rekomendasi hanya dengan e-mail. Tetapi bukannya tidak mungkin asal kita memberikan curriculum vitae yang lengkap.
Bagaimana proses seleksinya? Ada tiga tahapan. Pertama, pemeriksaan kelengkapan administrasi. Kedua, meliputi kualitas usulan penelitian, IP, hubungan dengan Profesor dll. Kedua tahap ini dilakukan tanpa kehadiran pelamar. Ketiga, bila lolos kedua tahap ini akan diundang untuk wawancara oleh tim pewawancara (gabungan dari Indonesia dan Kedubes Jepang). Peserta akan diminta untuk menerangkan usulan penelitiannya dalam bahasa Inggris atau bahasa Jepang.
U to U
Jalur kedua, jalur university to university (U to U). Program ini ditawarkan Monbukagakusho kepada profesor dari PT di Jepang. Oleh profesor di Jepang ditawarkan langsung kepada mitra PT-nya di Indonesia. Hal ini dimungkinkan bila antar universitas asal pelamar telah memunyai perjanjian kerja sama dengan universitas di Jepang.
Persaingan di sini pun sama ketatnya. Kalau dalam jalur G to G persaingan itu antar kita di Indonesia, sedangkan dalam jalur U to U bersaing dengan calon dari negara lain. Tidak ada wawancara. Penilaian hanya berdasar dari lamaran tertulis kita. Besarnya beasiswa pada dasarnya sama, yaitu 180.500 yen perbulan.
Bagi lulusan SMA pun terbuka peluang untuk menimba ilmu di "Negeri Matahari Terbit" ini. Persyaratannya, antara lain untuk program S1, D3, dan D2 NEM-nya paling tidak 8, 7,7 dan 7,2. Usia di bawah 22 tahun pada saat keberangkatan. Lamaran bisa langsung dikirim ke Kedutaan Besar Jepang, Jln. M.H. Thamrin 24, Jakarta Pusat dengan melampirkan fotokopi NEM, STTB, rapor kelas III. Untuk tahun ini batas akhir pendaftaran pada 18 Juni. Di sini pun persaingan sangat ketat. Tiap tahun rata-rata jumlah pelamar 700-an. Sedangkan yang diterima untuk semua jenjang, 30 orang. Mereka yang lolos dalam seleksi NEM akan mengikuti ujian tertulis yang meliputi matematika, fisika, kimia, biologi, dan bahasa Inggris. Besar beasiswa untuk lulusan SMU ini adalah 139.000 yen.
Jadi, betapa pentingnya informasi, baik mengenai beasiswa itu, cara pengisian formulir, mau pun persiapan untuk mengisi formulir. Memang untuk memperolehnya tidak mudah. Kita harus pandai memanfaatkan sumber informasi yang ada termasuk dari para alumni Jepang. Tetapi, sebenarnya setiap saat kita pun bisa memanfaatkan keberadaan Kedutaan Besar Jepang, bagian pendidikan.
Kalau tidak bisa ke sana langsung, staf bagian ini akan melayani kita lewat telefon 021-31924308. Atau kita bisa menghubungi kantor JASSO, di Summitmas Tower I, Lantai 5, Jalan Jenderal Sudirman Kav 61-62, telfon 021-2521912. Di kantor ini pun pasti kita akan disambut ramah. Selamat mencoba! *** (Sumber: Pikiran Rakyat)
Penulis adalah Staf Pengajar/Peneliti di Departemen Astronomi dan Observatorium Bosscha ITB
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Info Beasiswa Indonesia Sekolah Diploma S1 S2 S3 dalam negeri dan luar negeri
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Scholarships and Jobs Search
Top Ten Tips for Winning Scholarship Applications
�� by Kay Peterson, Ph.D.
Before you submit your scholarship application, check out these tips, provided by scholarship sponsors nationwide.
Tip #1: Apply only if you are eligible.
Read all the scholarship requirements and directions carefully to makesure you're eligible before you send in your application.
Tip #2: Complete the application in full.
If a question doesn't apply, note that on the application. Don't justleave a blank. Supply all additional supporting material, such astranscripts, letters of recommendation and essays.
Tip #3: Follow directions.
Provide everything that's required, but don't supply things that aren't requested����you could be disqualified.
Tip #4: Neatness counts.
Always type your application, or ifyou must print, do so neatly and legibly. Make a couple of photocopiesof all the forms before you fill them out. Use the copies as workingdrafts as you develop your application packet.
Tip #5: Write an essay that makes a strong impression.
The key to writing a strong essay is to be personal and specific.Include concrete details to make your experience come alive: the who,what, where, and when of your topic. The simplest experience can bemonumental if you present honestly how you were affected.
Tip #6: Watch all deadlines.
To help keep yourself on track,impose your own deadline that is at least two weeks prior to theofficial deadline. Use the buffer time to make sure everything is readyon time. Don't rely on extensions����very few scholarship providers allowthem at all.
Tip #7: Make sure your application gets where it needs to go.
Put your name (and Social Security number, if applicable) on all pagesof the application. Pieces of your application may get lost unless theyare clearly identified.
Tip #8: Keep a back-up file in case anything goes wrong.
Beforesending the application, make a copy of the entire packet. If yourapplication goes astray, you'll be able to reproduce it quickly.
Tip #9: Give it a final "once-over."
Proofread the entireapplication carefully. Be on the lookout for misspelled words orgrammatical errors. Ask a friend, teacher or parent to proofread it aswell.
Tip #10: Ask for help if you need it.
If you have problems with the application, don't hesitate to call the funding organization.
*** Scholarship Applications that Win!
by Bill Reynolds at FreSch!
Bill, whose son won 10 scholarships, shared seven excellent tips on how to make your scholarship application stand out. I liked his tips so much, I've given them their own page! Many thanks to Bill for sharing his experiences!
Tip #1. ATTENTION TO DEADLINES
Try and have your application arrive EARLY as possible, absolutely not after the deadline date! I like to send applications with a "return receipt requested" or "registered" to make sure they get there. I think that this also conveys a positive characteristic about the sender.
Tip #2 START YOUR APPLICATION WITH A "THANK YOU" COVER LETTER
Sample Packet Cover Letter
1111 WinOne Street
Pensacola, Fl 32503
9 September 1999
Mary Smith, President
Whatever Scholarship Committee
Orlando Central Parkway
Orlando, Florida (zip code)
Dear Ms. Smith,
This letter is an introduction of myself, (your name), and my desire to participate in the (whatever it is called) Scholarship Program. I have been accepted to (Name of your College) for the 1999 fall term.
I would like to thank you and the (whatever) Scholarship Committee for supporting college bound students with an opportunity for financial assistance through your scholarship program. Enclosed you will find my application form, high school transcript, ACT results, letters of recommendation, and other pertinent information. Again, thank you for your interest on my behalf and for the youth of our state.
Respectfully,
(your name)
Scholarship Applications that Win!
by Bill Reynolds at FreSch!
Bill, whose son won 10 scholarships, shared seven excellent tips on how to make your scholarship application stand out. I liked his tips so much, I've given them their own page! Many thanks to Bill for sharing his experiences!
Tip #1. ATTENTION TO DEADLINES
Try and have your application arrive EARLY as possible, absolutely not after the deadline date! I like to send applications with a "return receipt requested" or "registered" to make sure they get there. I think that this also conveys a positive characteristic about the sender.
Tip #2 START YOUR APPLICATION WITH A "THANK YOU" COVER LETTER
Sample Packet Cover Letter
1111 WinOne Street
Pensacola, Fl 32503
9 September 1999
Mary Smith, President
Whatever Scholarship Committee
Orlando Central Parkway
Orlando, Florida (zip code)
Dear Ms. Smith,
This letter is an introduction of myself, (your name), and my desire to participate in the (whatever it is called) Scholarship Program. I have been accepted to (Name of your College) for the 1999 fall term.
I would like to thank you and the (whatever) Scholarship Committee for supporting college bound students with an opportunity for financial assistance through your scholarship program. Enclosed you will find my application form, high school transcript, ACT results, letters of recommendation, and other pertinent information. Again, thank you for your interest on my behalf and for the youth of our state.
Respectfully,
(your name)
Tip #3 ANSWER THE "MAIL"
While this seems obvious, you must construct your application to make it EASY for the committee to see that you have provided every thing that was required. I like to provide items in the order that they are listed in the application. If possible, do not mix items on the same page. In another tip I am going to tell you to add extra items that were not requested to give your application that something extra. However, DO NOT add extra items if you are specifically told not to add anything extra. This means that you can not follow directions if you add items when your are forbidden to do so.
Tip #4 ADD EXTRA ITEMS TO YOUR APPLICATION (if not forbidden).
This is where you get to be creative to find ways and things that present you in a positive light to the selection committee. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
1. Write a short essay on MY EDUCATION/CAREER GOALS. Try to keep to one page but no more than two.
2. Write a paragraph or two on how this scholarship award will help you reach your education/career goals.
3. My son's guidance counselor gave him a paper that congratulated him on being in the top 10% of his class and acknowledged his hard work to get there. We included this because it put him in a "positive light" and his hard work at his academics was recognized.
4. Before my son reached his 18th birthday, he registered for the Military Draft as required for all males when they reach the age of 18. He received a letter from the draft board congratulating him for doing his civic duty prior to his 18th birthday. You guessed it, this was also one of our "extra items". A lot of scholarship committee members have military backgrounds or see this as good citizenship for this applicant.
5. One of the best extra items is a letter of acceptance for admission to "any" college. If the scholarship application is not for a specific college, you will be able to use the award at "any" college. You do not have to use it at the college you used in your application. Later you can get more college acceptance letters and when your make your selection you can notify the scholarship award committee of where to send the award. Therefore, any letter of acceptance shows that your are serious but it does not "lock" you into using the award at that college.
These are just a few examples to get you thinking. I would limit my extras to three or four at the most. Too many and you "sour" your application. Again, MAKE SURE you are not forbidden to add extra items before you do so.
Be creative to find things that make you look good and share them with the committee.
Tip #5 PERSONALIZE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
This is a tip that conveys you took the time to make this application special. When you have a letter of recommendation addressed to the specific organization or person that is administering the application process it says that you took the time and effort to make this letter "Special" for them. If all you have is a letter that starts "To Whom It May Concern", it is better than nothing. But if you can personalize the letter it says you cared to send the very best.
SUB TIP #5a Offer to do the work for the writer of your letter of recommendation. For example, you want to apply to twenty scholarship programs. When you ask someone to write you "1" letter of recommendation they say sure. When you say you need twenty letters they say "sorry" I don't have the time. Once they write you one letter, ask if you can put it on the computer so the TO ADDRESSEE can be personalized for each application and your writer only has to "sign their name twenty times". Now your writer is happy to help you because you have done the work and make it easy for them to help you. If they have nice letter head, ask for blank copies to be used in this process.
SUB TIP #5b This is an "ADD EXTRA ITEM/s" when the application does not require a letter of recommendation.
SUB TIP #5c Try and get three to five letters of recommendation in your files. This will let you pick and choose which one or ones to send in for a specific application. I would never send more than three for an application unless the directions ask for more. I will cover some tips to give your recommendation writer in a later TIP.
TIP #6 - PROOF READ ALL MATERIALS and NEATNESS IS A MUST
When you write anything you must use correct grammar and spelling. If you have a problem in this area ask your English teacher to help you with proofreading your essay, cover letter, extra items you have included, and even letters of recommendation prepared by others. When there are hundreds or thousands of applications to review, correctness and neatness become the first screen out factor. Only when the "pile" is smaller does the content of your application start to become a factor in the selection process.
TIP # 7 - SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION IN A CLEAR PLASTIC FOLDER
Now that your application is complete, the final "presentation" tip is to place all of your items in a clear plastic folder, with a slide locking binder. I like the cheap clear ones so that your "Thank You Cover Letter" (Tip #2) is on top. For that final "touch" I also like to include a wallet size picture of the student in the lower left side of your packet. The next item/s in you application packet are those required in the application (Tip #3 Answer the mail). Next I add any extra items (if not forbidden) and finally I place any letter(s) of recommendations.
If "extras" are forbidden, you should consider NOT using a plastic folder, however, this can be a judgement call on your part. Read the application carefully again regarding extras. Some judges feel the plastic folders "give them more work" (to remove the applications from the plastic folder) while others have no problem with it, even though they may forbid extras. I know, this can be confusing!
Your application packet is a great looking presentation of YOU, don't mess it up by folding it to fit a small envelope. Use an 8X10 type envelope so your application arrives looking great. Consider sending it "Return Receipt Requested" so you know it arrived!
Read a lot more scholarships tips here
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