Engineering Summer Education Program

(ESEP)

School of Engineering, UTokyo

Overview

 The summer program at the University of Tokyo’s School of Engineering, called ESEP, is an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to participate in scientific research projects at world-leading laboratories at the University of Tokyo. Students from our partner universities are eligible to participate.

 Participants will be assigned to a laboratory and engage in research activities for six weeks. During the program, participants will be engaged in research activities for approximately seven hours a day, Monday through Friday. In addition to research activities, the program also includes a one-day bus trip and Japanese cultural experiences.

We offer two types of programs as follows:

ESEP-G : For students from our partner universities.

ESEP-UC : For students from the University of California. This program is referred to as “UCEAP STEM Research in Tokyo Engineering”.

 

ESEP-G2025

We received 340 applications for ESEP-G2025. Thank you very much for your applications!

1.　Program period

June 24th – August 1st, 2025

2.　Eligibility

Applicants must:

• be full-time students (including graduated students) enrolled at one of our *partner universities and not have graduated by the end of our program.
• have completed at least two years of undergraduate study before the start of the program

*Partner universities : (List of partner universities for ESEP-G 2025)

3.　Number of participants

Up to 25 students

4.　Program fee

Free

5.　Host labs and research topics

List of Host Laboratories (ESEP-G 2025)

Students will be hosted by one of the laboratories. Any special academic requirements for training in each lab are also indicated on the list.

6.　Program schedule

June 24:　Orientation & campus tour


June 25 to July 31:　Research activities (full-time)


TBD:　Final presentation


August 1:　Report submission


 

≪Activities≫


TBD:　Japanese lesson (2 hours)


TBD:　One-day bus tour


TBD:　Japanese drum workshop (half day)


7.　ESEP-G2025 Poster

Here

8.　Requirements

Applicants must:

• participate in the entire duration of the program
• have high rated academic performance and a high level of English proficiency
• have a strong interest in pursuing a Ph. D
• remain enrolled at their current home university during the program period. When an applicant is in the last year of their degree program, the graduation must be taken place after the program ends
• not have joined this program before
• secure overseas travel insurance in their home countries before coming to Japan, and bear the premium of personal liability insurance (see "Insurance" for details)
• refrain from attending other courses and being employed
• respect the work of all laboratory members and participate in activities in the laboratory
• able to conduct research activities on their own initiative
• have a cooperative attitude and can live together with other students in a shared house

9.　Financial support

Scholarship : Based on the ESEP Scholarship guideline of the School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, JPY 160,000 (JPY 80,000 monthly × 2 months) will be provided to participants who meet the following requirements. The scholarship will be paid on a monthly basis in cash.

• participating in the entire duration of the program
• staying in the accommodation provided by the program
• attending all required activities and social events
• submitting a final report to the School of Engineering at the end of the program

 

NOTE: Participants must bear the following costs:

• Air ticket (round-trip ticket)
• Overseas travel insurance and personal liability insurance
• Visa fee, domestic transportation fee
• Daily commuting expenses for coming to campus from the accommodation
• Everyday living expenses

 

FUTI Scholarships for Short-term Studies (for US universities’ students) :

FUTI (Friends of UTokyo, Inc) Scholarships are for participants enrolled in US universities. If you win a FUTI scholarship, you will not be able to receive ESEP scholarship.
http://www.friendsofutokyo.org/scholarships-for-short-term-studies/

10.　Insurance

Selected students must:

11.　Accommodation

Designated accommodations will be provided free of charge to students during of the program. The details will be announced after the selection process.

How to apply

Application period : November 15th, 2024 - January 15th, 2025, 3:00PM (Japan time)

ESEP-G online application system
http://application.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/esep-g/

Register your information in the online application system and upload the required documents to the “My Page”. You can choose up to a second choice of laboratory from List of Host Laboratories (ESEP-G 2025)

Required documents to upload

• Photo : Taken within the last 6 months
• Personal statement (designated form for ESEP-G)
• Official certificate of current enrollment
  Students enrolled in their final year of the current university must submit one that includes the expected graduation date.
• Official Undergraduate academic transcript in English (both undergraduate students and graduate students)
• Official Graduate academic transcript in English (graduate students only)
• English test scores report (IELTS/TOEIC/TOEFL/ other external tests)
  Exemption: those whose nationality is USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, India or currently enrolled at a university in those countries.

• Copy of Passport: Photocopy of the photo page of your valid passport. If you do not have a passport, upload a copy of your official ID.
• Letter of recommendation (suggested format)
  The letter must be issued by applicant’s supervising faculty member. Please refer to the “How to upload a recommendation letter”.

NOTE:

※Please submit the most recent certificate of enrollment and academic transcript.
※As some universities will enter holiday periods, make sure to prepare the required documents well in advance.



Application deadline : January 15th, 2025, 3:00PM (Japan time)

Please submit all documents by the deadline. Incomplete documents may result in disqualification from the selection process.

Selection

Candidates will be selected through document screening. Also, some laboratories conduct online interviews in early February.

※Make sure to provide an email address on our online application system where you can be contacted.

Selection results : Scheduled from March 14 to March 18, 2025

The selection results will be notified by email.

Past program reports

ESEP-G/UC 2024 Report

ESEP-G/UC/INDIA 2023 Report

ESEP-G/UC 2019 Report

ESEP-G/UC 2018 Report

 

Participants' voice

Testimonials from ESEP Alumni

Comments from 2024ESEP participants

Comments from 2023ESEP participants

 

FAQ

Before contacting us, please read the above description and these FAQs carefully. The information listed in this page will help to answer most questions.

Eligibility

Q1: My university is not listed on the “List of partner universities”. Am I eligible to apply?
A1: No, you are not eligible. This program is open only to students from our partner universities.

Q2: I will not be able to start the program on the first day because my university term will not yet be over. Can I delay the start date?
A2: No. The period of the program is fixed and cannot be changed. Everyone participating in the program starts and ends at the same time together. Only those who can participate for the entire duration of the program are eligible to apply.

Q3: I am currently in my final year of undergraduate studies and will be graduating in June, but I plan to continue on to the master's program at the same university in September. Am I eligible to apply for the program?
A3: No. Unfortunately, you are not eligible to apply for ESEP-G. You must be enrolled at your current university for the entire duration of ESEP-G.

Q4: Is Japanese language proficiency required?
A4: No, Japanese proficiency is not necessary.

Required documents

Q1: What kind of document is an "official certificate of current enrollment"?
A1: An official certificate of current enrollment is officially issued by your university to prove that you are currently enrolled. Please ask your university to issue a document. A letter of admission cannot be accepted. If you are in your final year at the university, please also submit a document showing your expected graduation date.

Q2: I have never taken IELTS, TOEIC, or TOEFL. How can I prove my English ability?
A2: Any English certificates are acceptable. If you do not have any certificates, you may submit a document which proves your level of English. Expired test results are also acceptable.

Q3: I have just started my master's program and do not have a supervisor at my current university to ask for a recommendation letter. Can I ask a professor from my undergraduate years?
A3: Yes, it is fine to ask a professor from your undergraduate years to write a recommendation letter. It is best to request it from a supervisor who knows you well.

Q4: What is a "receipt number"?
A4: When you register in our online application system, you will receive a receipt number.

Other

Q1: May I contact the potential host professor at the University of Tokyo?
A1: No, please refrain from contacting faculty members before the selection process to maintain fairness.

Q2: Can I extend the program for another week?
A2: No, it is not possible. The program duration is fixed. You cannot change the start date or end date.

 

Contact

Office of International Cooperation and Exchange （OICE）
School of Engineering
The University of Tokyo
7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan 113-8656
E-mail: seutpro.t@gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp