THE Myanmar Association of Japan Alumni is accepting applications for the Asian Youth Fellowship from now until October 15.

The fellowships are open to Southeast Asian students who wish to study humanities, social sciences, engineering or natural sciences at the graduate level in Japan, and who have a strong desire to contribute to regional cooperation after obtaining a master’s or doctorate degree.

According to a statement released on July 17 by the Japanese embassy in Yangon, the fellowship will cover seven months of Japanese-language study at the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute in Osaka, beginning in March 2008.

The fellowship will cover textbooks, accommodation, food allowance, medical insurance, return air ticket and expenses for taking the entrance exam for graduate school.

After completing the program, grantees will enter Japanese universities as Japanese Government Scholarship Students, at which time allowances, accommodation and other details will be subject to government scholarship regulations.

Applicants must be nationals of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand or Vietnam.

The Myanmar Association of Japan Alumni is located at Room 707, Building C, Pearl Condominium, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road in Yangon.

Meanwhile, the Japanese embassy also announced that the ninth Japanese-language Proficiency Test will be held in Yangon on December 2.

Any Myanmar national can sit for the test for a fee of FEC8 for Level 1 or 2 and FEC6 for Level 3 or 4, plus an additional FEC1 for each application form.