The Japan Foundation and United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney established two parallel and interrelated Australia-Japan fellowship programs to strengthen connections between Australian and Japanese policy experts and research institutes and to cultivate the next generation of policy-savvy Japan experts based in Australia and Australia experts based in Japan.
Fellows participate in field trips to Japan or Australia engaging with key government and industry players. Participants are mentored by senior USSC experts – including Dr Michael J. Green, CEO of the USSC and Professor Peter Dean, Director of the Foreign Policy and Defence Program.
Eligibility of applicants
Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
- Applicants must be citizens of Japan or Australia.
- Applicants must have a total of three or more years of work experience in relevant fields or must be MPhil/ PhD candidates (or hold MPhil/PhD) in relevant fields. *Applicants who are currently employed by government organisations must seek written permission from their managers to apply for this fellowship program.
Field of research
The main theme for 2024 was maritime security and Australia-Japan security and defence relations.
Benefits of the fellowship
a. Japanese participants
Fellows are provided with opportunities for mentorship, research assistance and engagement with the Australian government, industry, and policy communities. Each fellow produces two written works as part of their residency on topics agreed upon with USSC experts. These include a policy brief to be completed before the residency commences and a longer project report to be completed after the trip to Australia has concluded. These works are published on the USSC and Japan Foundation’s websites.
b. Australian participants
Fellows are provided opportunities to engage with the Japan Foundation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, key parliamentarians, and research institutes. Each fellow produces two written works as part of their fellowship on topics agreed upon with USSC experts. These include a policy brief to be completed before the field trip to Japan and a longer project report to be completed after the fellowship program has concluded. These works are published on the USSC and Japan Foundation’s websites.
This program is a part of the JFIPP (Japan Foundation Indo-Pacific Partnership) Program.
