National Institute for Research Advancement

FSI Faculty Mentor:

Takeo Hoshi, Senior Fellow, FSI

About the National Institute for Research Advancement:

The National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA) was established on the initiative of leading figures from Japan's industrial, academic, labor, and local government communities. The Institute was founded in March 1974 as a semi-governmental organization under the National Institute for Research Advancement Act. Since its establishment, NIRA, as an independent policy research organization, has adopted a comprehensive perspective in addressing a wide range of complex interrelated issues affecting contemporary society, and has made a large number of proposals with a view towards influencing policy formation. NIRA has conducted projects on more than 1,000 research topics to date. Japanese society is facing profound changes, and the nation's policy research institutes are urgently required to adopt new roles. NIRA therefore views its change in organizational status as an opportunity to commence again from the beginning and to reform its research system to meet the demands of a new era. As a public interest incorporated foundation, NIRA will continue to conduct its activities for the public good. At the same time, from its more independent standpoint, the new NIRA will work diligently to present bold policy proposals and to make information available in a timely fashion in order to further stimulate policy discussion and to make an even greater contribution to the policy-making process.

Project:

The FSI Global Policy fellow will work for a period of 9-10 weeks during Summer 2018 at NIRA’s Tokyo office. The fellow will work on a research project conducted independently at NIRA. The research topic will be chosen in collaboration with NIRA colleagues. NIRA conducts research on social issues, economics, and political matters in Japan, such as the conflict between market economy and democratic government, or the impact of IT and AI.

Eligibility and Skills Required:

This program is open to continuing undergraduate and graduate students. There is a preference for undergraduates who are currently sophomores, juniors or seniors (seniors must be continuing as students in Autumn 2018). Applicants must be in good academic standing with a GPA of 3.3 or higher. Students should have an interest in modern Japanese politics and economics.

Additional Requirements:

Highly proficient at Excel (to analyze large data sets)
Interest in social issues, economics and politics, especially as they pertain to Japan
Strong writing and analytical skills
Ability to work with a large degree of independence
Language Requirement:
Japanese strongly preferred but not required.

Location:

This internship is located primarily in Tokyo, Japan. Students may have the opportunity to visit some research sites throughout the country. More information about traveling to Japan is available here: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/japan.html.

Visa Requirements:

Students must be eligible to travel to Japan and must have a passport valid until March 2019. A visa is required to work in Japan during the summer. FSI will help finalists with the visa process.

Stipend:

FSI is committed to providing its opportunities to students regardless of financial constraints. FSI's Global Policy interns are provided with a stipend to cover travel and living expenses during the summer. These stipends do not exceed $6,400 per student. Students must submit a budget with their estimated costs along with their application. If you have additional financial constraints that you think may prevent you from participating in this program, please contact Academic Program Manager Gina Gonzales directly.

Application:

The application deadline is February 7, 2018, at 11:59 pm. Applicants will be asked to submit:

Application Form
Name of faculty reference (letter of recommendation not required)
CV/Resume
Unofficial Transcript
Budget

Frequently Asked Questions

Please note: You may only apply to one FSI Global Policy Internship.

Apply here: https://solo.stanford.edu/opportunities/national-institute-research-adv…