Damascus University announced on Tuesday, May 12, that applications are open for the Japanese Government Scholarship Program, MEXT, for 2027 research students.

The university said the scholarship is offered by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to international students, including Arabs, to study at Japanese universities. It noted that applications will remain open until May 25.

Damascus University President Mustafa Saem al-Dahr discussed prospects for academic cooperation between the university and Japanese educational institutions on Monday, May 11, with the chargé d’affaires of the Japanese Embassy in Damascus, Akihiro Tsuji.

The talks also addressed organizing scientific visits for Damascus University students and professors to academic institutions in Japan, in a step aimed at strengthening research cooperation and international academic openness.

Scholarship for Syrians

The Japanese Embassy in Syria had announced postgraduate scholarships for Syrian citizens under the age of 35, born on April 2, 1992 or later, offered by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

On April 29, the embassy said the written exam would be held at the Embassy of Japan in Syria for applicants who pass the document screening.

It noted that only selected candidates would be informed of further details about the written exam and interview by the end of June 2026.

According to the embassy, the minimum admission requirements include several qualifications and conditions:

• Applicants must be Syrian nationals.
• Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree with a cumulative average of at least 70%, including graduates of the 2025/2026 academic year.
• Applicants must be no older than 35, born on April 2, 1992 or later.
• Applicants must be proficient in English or Japanese.
• Applicants must present a copy of an official document proving their Syrian nationality, such as a copy of their passport, including the photo, date of birth, and expiration date pages, or their identity card, accompanied by a certified translation.

The Japanese Embassy said the selection process may be suspended or canceled at any time, depending on internal or external conditions surrounding Syria.

Italian Grants

Damascus University announced on April 17 that partial scholarships were available for academic master’s and doctoral students at Italian universities under the ERASMUS+ academic mobility program, in cooperation with the Mediterranean Universities Union, UNIMED.

According to the announcement, the scholarships cover one semester during the first term of the 2026/2027 academic year, from September to February. They are distributed as three scholarships to the University of Rome for International Studies and one scholarship to the University of Calabria.

The scholarships cover specializations in literature, economics, political science, and education.

The university set several conditions for applicants, requiring doctoral students to have completed a full academic year since their registration.

Academic master’s students must have completed their coursework year and reached the research preparation stage.