Political Economy of Institutional Construction : Toward an Expectation

International Fellowship Program for Junior Researchers

The Global COE (Center of Excellence) Program at the Waseda Center for Political Economy of Institutional Construction (GLOPE II) invites applications for short-term fellowships from young scholars engaged in innovative research related to the themes currently being pursued at the Center. The purpose of the fellowship program is to exchange ideas, findings, and policy proposals regarding the evolution of domestic, regional, and transnational institutions, and to develop an academic network of those researchers interested in and working for the establishment of open political-economic systems at a time of increasing globalization. Fellows must be able to conduct their research in either English or Japanese, and will be expected to engage in active academic collaboration with one or more GLOPE II faculty members during their stay. (Click here to download the application form)

Fellowship Support:

For the academic year 2011, each fellow will receive a monthly stipend of approximately 200,000-230,000 yen for either (A) the six-month period from October 2011 to March 2012, or (B) the three-month period from October to December 2011. The length of the fellow's stay (starting from October 2011) can be negotiable up to six months.

Expenses for research-related materials and travels can be supported by COE-GLOPE II up to 100,000 yen in total.

Fellows will be covered under Waseda's basic health-insurance policy if staying for six months.

Fellows are expected to arrive in Japan by the end of the first week of October 2011 and to start residency at Waseda at that time.

In addition to the fellowship, COE-GLOPE II will provide successful applicants with travel expenses, including a round-trip, economy-class plane ticket to Tokyo.

Each fellow is expected to make his/her own living arrangements for the duration of the fellowship period. As long as a fellow is willing to leave all considerations regarding the size and type of accommodation to the discretion of COE-GLOPE II, and depending upon availability, it may be possible to assign a fellow a University-managed guest-house room for a fee of about 80,000-90,000 yen per month (for a studio-sized apartment). Fellows' commuting expenses will be covered by COE-GLOPE II.

Fellows will be provided with shared office space, access to computer terminals and photocopy machines, and user privileges at the University library and other facilities.

Fellows are expected to actively engage in GLOPE II projects, including presentation of their papers at GLOPE II conferences and workshops. Please click here for further information including a list of fellows from 2009 to 2010.

Application Procedure:

Submit a completed application package, which must be received by April 15, 2011, to the following address.

The package must include the following items:
- A brief cover letter indicating your intention to apply.
- A completed application form.
- A statement of purpose that contains an outline of your proposed research and indicates its relevance to GLOPE II's themes and activities.
- Three samples of your writing (copies of journal articles, for example) in either English or Japanese. Include a list of these items in the order of their relevance to GLOPE II's themes and activities, with the most relevant item listed first.
- A letter of authorization from the head of your department stating that you will be allowed to leave your organization for the duration of the fellowship.
- A self-addressed envelope.
In addition, the applicant must arrange for three confidential letters of recommendation to be received at the above address no later than April 15, 2011.

Please note that all application materials, including letters of recommendation, must be submitted in English except as specified in the list above. Completed applications must be sent by post; faxed or e-mailed applications will not be considered.

Prior to submission of the application package, a copy of the completed application form only must be sent for review to the GLOPE II administrative secretary at the e-mail address below. Other inquiries regarding the fellowship or application procedure may also be directed (in either English or Japanese) to the secretary.

[email protected]

Selection, Notification, and Acceptance

Application materials and letters of recommendations will be reviewed by the GLOPE II International Fellowship Program selection committee.

All applicants will receive an official notification by May 20, 2011.

Successful applicants must return signed letters of acceptance within two weeks of notification in order to secure a fellowship.