INPEX Scholarship: Fully Funded Master’s Opportunity for Indonesian, Australian & UAE Engineers in Japan

Thinking about advancing your science or engineering career in Japan—but worried about tuition and living expenses? The INPEX Scholarship Foundation has been quietly funding tomorrow’s innovators from Indonesia, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates since 1981. With a generous monthly stipend of ¥160,000, full tuition coverage, and even a ¥60,000 arrival allowance, this privately-funded program turns the dream of earning a Japanese master’s degree into a realistic, fully-funded plan. Below, you’ll find everything you need—from eligibility and timelines to alumni outcomes—to decide whether INPEX is the perfect launchpad for your graduate journey.

Overview of the INPEX Scholarship Foundation

Origin Story: From Oilfields to Scholarships

The Foundation was born on 26 March 1981—exactly 15 years after the founding of Indonesia Petroleum Ltd. (now INPEX Corporation). Instead of celebrating with another drilling rig, company leaders earmarked ¥860 million in capital to endow an independent nonprofit that would nurture human talent across borders. The timing was no accident: Japan’s first long-term LNG contracts from Indonesia were hitting full stride, and executives believed people-to-people ties were just as critical as pipelines. Therefore, the very first cohort—three Indonesian engineers—received full funding to study geothermal reservoirs at Tohoku University, symbolically redirecting resource royalties back into education.

Mission & Long-Term Vision

INPEX’s charter commits the Foundation to “promote mutual understanding, friendship, and goodwill” among Japan and partner nations by empowering young scientists to tackle shared challenges—from carbon-neutral fuels to disaster-resilient infrastructure. Put simply, energy security is no longer just barrels and Btu; it is human capital fluent in both Bahasa Indonesia and Japanese lab safety. Responding to geopolitical shifts, the mission has steadily widened: Australia joined in 2022 to deepen Ichthys LNG collaboration, and the UAE followed in 2023, mirroring INPEX’s upstream ventures in Abu Dhabi. By 2025 the roster counted 149 international and 67 Japanese scholars, plus new high-school exchange and semester-abroad schemes that seed interest long before graduate school.

Eligibility & Application Timeline

Who Can Apply?

• Citizenship & Age: Indonesian, Australian, or UAE passport holder, under 30 on 31 October of the application year.
• Academic Record: Bachelor’s degree (minimum 16 years of schooling) in a natural-science field with a cumulative GPA ≥ 3.0/4.0.
• Language: Recent TOEFL iBT, IELTS, or equivalent English score, plus a commitment to intensive Japanese study.
• Letter of Acceptance: Proof you have secured a supervisor at your target Japanese graduate school.
• Health & Character: Medical clearance and strong recommendations from professors or employers.

Because the document set is substantial—research plan, transcripts, recommendation letters—start early and keep scanned copies ready for e-mail submission.

Timeline at a Glance (2026 Intake)

Stage	Key Dates
Application Window	1 Aug – 31 Oct 2025
Primary Screening & Interview	January 2026
Board Approval & Final Offer	March 2026
Arrival in Japan	September 2026
Language Program	Oct 2026 – Mar 2027
Master’s Coursework	Apr 2027 – Mar 2029

Because decisions are locked in by March, you still have six months to secure housing, apply for a Student visa, and—crucially—polish your Japanese before stepping into the lab.

What the Scholarship Covers

A Generous Financial Package

Item	Amount / Detail
Monthly Stipend	¥160,000 for living costs (housing, food, transport, insurance, books)
Arrival Allowance	¥60,000 paid on landing
Tuition & Fees	Examination, admission, and full tuition—100 % covered
Airfare	Round-trip economy ticket from home country to Tokyo
Commuter Pass	Local train/bus pass reimbursed by the Foundation
Academic Travel	Up to ¥200,000 per year for conferences
Japanese Classes	Six-month intensive program (fees waived)

The stipend is indexed against regional living-cost surveys for Sendai, Osaka, and Tokyo, and many scholars report being able to save a portion for domestic travel or future fieldwork.

Life in Japan & Academic Support

Language & Orientation

Your first semester is devoted to an intensive language boot camp, five days a week, covering survival Japanese, technical vocabulary, academic writing, and presentation skills. By the time you register for your first graduate-level course, you’ll be able to present posters, understand safety briefings, and open a bank account without an interpreter.

Choose Your University

INPEX lets you pick the laboratory that best matches your research. Recent recipients enrolled at Universidad de Tohoku, Universidad de Osakay Hiroshima University, spanning fields from earthquake engineering to green hydrogen catalysis.

Pastoral & Peer Support

The Foundation hosts welcome luncheons, lab tours, and an annual retreat in Hakone, giving scholars cross-disciplinary exposure and a community far from home. Many universities also assign a Japanese student mentor who helps translate rental contracts and liaise with the ward office. According to student blogs, the alumni network remains active long after graduation—handy for job hunting or collaborative research.

Alumni Success Stories & Career Impact

From Lab Bench to Leadership

Alumni Success Stories & Career Impact

From Master’s Lab to Leadership Track

Over 200 graduates have completed full-length master’s (and, in many cases, subsequent doctoral) degrees through the INPEX Scholarship since 1982. According to the company’s 2023 Investor Day slide deck, the Foundation is now an official pillar of the firm’s “Employer & Partner of Choice” talent strategy—explicitly linking scholarship alumni with long-term workforce needs in LNG, CCUS, and hydrogen.

• Energy Industry Pipeline: Many Indonesian awardees complete an M.Eng. at Tohoku or Kyoto U. and return to join national majors such as Pertamina or PLN, often stepping into reservoir- or carbon-capture roles within 12 months of graduation.
• Academia & Ph.D. Progression: Roughly 30 % of scholars continue to doctoral study in Japan; Kumamoto University’s 2024 graduate bulletin lists three Ph.D. candidates who first entered on an INPEX master’s track.
• Government & Policy: Australian alumni have gone on to positions at Geoscience Australia and the Northern Territory’s Energy Transition Office—leveraging bilingual skills acquired during research internships.

Australian Pathway: From Curtin to Tokyo

For Australians, the scholarship is exclusively for postgraduate degrees (not short exchanges). Curtin University’s official listing clarifies that recipients receive up to 32 months of funding to complete a full master’s in engineering or science at any Japanese grad school. See details here.

Recent awardee Rhys Clifford (UWA ’23) announced on LinkedIn that the grant is funding his M.Sc. in Earth & Planetary Science at Tokyo Tech, where he researches siderophile elements linked to early-Earth formation—an example of the program’s fit for deep-tech career goals.

Why Employers Notice

Japanese firms prize hires who understand Kaizen workflows and can present research in both English and Japanese. Graduates finish with: (1) a STEM master’s from a G30 university, (2) six months of immersive language training, and (3) a ready-made binational network—advantages that accelerate entry into R&D, policy, and sustainability roles far faster than peers who self-fund.

Ready to apply? Download the 2026 guidelines here (PDF), refine your research proposal, and submit before 31 October 2025.

Why Employers Notice

Japanese firms prize hires who understand Kaizen workflows, lab-safety culture, and basic business Japanese. Combine that with an internationally recognised master’s, and your résumé stands out—whether you plan a Ph.D. or an R&D role back home.

Ready to apply? Choose the guideline that matches your passport, polish your research plan, and submit by 31 October 2025:

• 2026 Guidelines for Indonesian Applicants (PDF)
• 2026 Guidelines for Australian Applicants (PDF)
• 2026 Guidelines for UAE Applicants (PDF)

Good luck — see you in Tokyo!