The Japan-U.S. Educational Commission, known as Fulbright Japan, has announced a significant donation from Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten, Inc. Mikitani has committed ¥90,000,000 (nearly one million USD) to establish the Fulbright-Mikitani Memorial Grant. This grant aims to support Japanese students participating in the U.S. Fulbright program.
The announcement was made with the presence of U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Joseph Young. The new grant is intended to enhance educational opportunities between the United States and Japan by funding 5-6 Japanese students annually for three years to pursue Master's and Ph.D. degrees in social sciences and humanities at U.S. institutions through the Fulbright program.
Mikitani expressed his personal connection to the initiative: “Study abroad and the United States’ culture of innovation and academic excellence has had an enormous impact on my own life." He mentioned his father's influence as a former Japanese Fulbright Scholar who studied at Harvard University and taught at Yale University.
Joseph Young highlighted the significance of this initiative: “The Fulbright program offers an incredible opportunity for Japanese to travel, study, and learn in the United States." He noted that recipients would join a long line of scholars contributing significantly to their fields while strengthening U.S.-Japan relations.
The Fulbright program is recognized globally for its principles of binational governance and merit-based selection processes without regard to race or creed. It aims not only to provide education but also to develop leaders who foster mutual understanding between nations.
For more details about this initiative, interested parties are encouraged to visit the Japan-U.S. Educational Commission's website.