African Business Education Initiative for Youth (ABE ... · PDF fileAfrican Business Education Initiative for Youth ... Cameroon starts participating in this Initiative from the 2nd

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AfricanBusinessEducation Initiative for Youth(ABE INITIATIVE)

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)’s Long-Term Training Program

Master's degree and Internship Program in Japan~ For human resource development in Africa in order to cultivate

a strong human network between Japan and Africa

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What is the ABE Initiative?The ABE initiative was introduced at the 5th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) in 2013 as for supporting ongoing dynamic growth in the countries in Africa with stronger public-private partnership.

Cameroon starts participating in this Initiative from the 2nd batch (enrollment in Japanese universities in September 2015), while Chad joined from the 3rd batch(enrollment in September 2016) and Central African Republic from the 4th batch (enrollment in September 2017). At the TICAD VI in Kenya in August 2016, the Government of Japan announced the extension of the program for the 5th batch (enrollment in September 2018). As the 2nd and 3rd batch, in total 13 Cameroonians are currently in Japan.

The program, in collaboration with Japanese privatesector, offers opportunities for young Africanpersonnel to study at master’s courses in Japan andto experience internship in Japanese enterprises inorder to contribute African development with strongerhuman network between Japan and Africa.

ABE Initiative at Grace

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Targetted all 54 countries in African Continents During 4 yeas (2014-2017), Total 1071 young africans will be benefitted. Master’s program in Japanese uniersities

+ Opportunity of Internship in Japanese enterprises About 148 courses in 70 universities are ready to accept the participants of

ABE Initiative, Around 360 Japanese enterprises are registered to support the program, Visit to Japanese enterprises, Business forum, seminars in collaboration with

JICA, the Japanese government, Associations of Japanese enterprises, etc. Duration : 1 to 2 years of program of Master + internship in Japanese

entreprises (two weeks to six months). Total 1 year to 3 years in maximum, including the possibility of the preparatory period as a research student(maximum 6 months) before entering the Master’s program.

Targetted persons: i) Private sector, ii) Public sector, iii) Educators and iv) newly graduated university students

Targetted persons

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1.Person from Private Sector: Young individuals who are or will be involved in economic activities in the private sector, maintaining and developing strong ties with Japanese enterprises, or trying to create the business relationship with Japanese companies.

2.Government Officials: Young government officials or civil servants who take in part in formulation and/or implementation of policies related to industry, business environment, infrastructure development, and human resource development especially in industrial sector (including agro-industry).

3.Educators: Young lecturers or instructors in higher education and technical and vocational training centers who are in charge of training human resources for national economic development.

4.Newly graduated students: Newly graduated students who would like to pursue more practical skills and knowledge in their fields of specialization in order to meet the demand and requisite of employment in respective country.

Qualifications/ Requirements

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1. Nationality: Cameroonian for candidates of Cameroon, Chadian for Chad, and Central African for the CRA respectively

2. Age: from 22 Up to 39 years old (as of 1st April 2018) 3. Education: Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent to at least 16 years of academic background

including primary school) 4. Working /practical experiences: - For the government officials and educators, at least 6 months of working experiences at their current organizations. to obtain the permission for application and securing reinstatement from their current

organizations. - For person from private sector It is preferable that candidates have some practical experiences at the working places as

trainee. 5. English language proficiency:

All the program of ABE Initiative will be conducted in English. Thus, the competency in oral communication as well as in reading and in writing to complete the master’s course is required.

6. Clear understanding of the objective of ABE Initiative:This program is for contributing to the economic and industrial development of Africancountries as well as to strengthen the linkage between participants’ countries and Japan.

7. Others: Both physically and mentally fit for the program Not receiving or planning to receive a scholarship offered by other foreign organizations not serving in the military, weapon, and nucleus handling.

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Priority Sectors

Engineering Agriculture （Fisheries, dairy, livestock) Science Marine Science

Trade Economics / Business Administration

Medical Science

Political Science / Public Administration

Social Welfare Tourism ICT Others

The following sectors are available under the ABE Initiative

In the current bilateral cooperation between Japan and Cameroon, the priority areas are as follow; Agriculture (including fisheries) Economic Development (Economic Infrastructure / Private Sector Promotion)) Environmental Conservation

To this end, specializations like engineering, fisheries, biotechnology, environmental science, agribusiness / economics, business management, strategy for improving the business environment, etc. are those recommended with regards to the orientation of Cameroon/Japan bilateral cooperation. However, other areas will not be excluded,

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Duration and Program Content

Research Student* Master’s Program Internship

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*The necessity of this preparatory period will be decided by the university.**Participants can get an internship during holidays, in the middle of their Master program, upon the university's approval

Total duration : 1 to 3 years

6 months maximum 1 to 2 Years 2 weeks to 6 months

Preparatory Period

According to the selection result ( in particular, 3rd & 4th

selection), University may request this status to certain candidates.

Master CoursesParticipants will take Master courses in University in Japan.

Corporate Visits / Business SeminarsParticipants will be encouraged to recognize andunderstand the contexts of Japanese society and systemsof Japanese enterprises. These visits and workshops havebeen contribute to strengthen the mutual understandingsbetween African young personnel and Japanese privatesector.

Internship(Private sector)

JICA in coordination with Japanese companies will offer the opportunity to obtain practical training in Japanese companies.

Expenses to be covered

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Allowance Item Amount of Payment Frequency

Tuition Actual Cost Each Semester

Living Allowance ¥144,000～¥147,000 Every 2 months≒688,000FCFA~702,000 FCFA

Air fees Actual cost 1 round trip

Outfit allowance (general outfit and shipping)

¥106,000 Once(month of first arrival)

Moving allowance(lump-sum payment for rental contract)

& Preparation Allowance

¥190,000≒907,800 (maximum) (West Japan ¥210,000≒1,003,400FCFA)

Once¥54,000≒258,000FCFA

Books ¥30,000≒143,300FCFAOnce a year

In-country research trip ¥50,000≒238,900FCFA

• This scheme may be updated without prior notice.• Any additional costs must be supported by the structure of the participant or others. This living allowance may be deducted if

the participant receives financial or in‐kind support by a company/ an organization

Example of the 1st batchExchange rate as of october 2014

Selection ProcedureChecking the application documents (Mid October. 2017)

Basic Screening

Written exam: English (TOEFL) and Mathematics (End of October. 2017) English: Level desirable and not compulsory to provide proof (IELTS 6.0/CBT (Computer-Based TOEFL) 213 / PBT (Paper-Based TOEFL) 550/IBT (Internet-based TOEFL) more than 79-80)Mathematics, see the sample test available here:http://www.education-japan.org/africa/news/index.php)

1st selection

2nd

selection

Interview at JICA Cameroon Office (November. 2017)Key evaluation contents:Confirm if a candidate clearly understands the objective of the ABE Initiative and can describe his/her purpose and a concrete career plan after returning to his/her country.

Documents screening by Professors of Japanese universities(Jan. – March. 2018) Confirm candidates' abilities to follow the Master's program, their aim of study, and preparation level (in particular, the relevance of the research plan ) .

3rd

selection

4th selection

Interview by Professors of Japanese Universities via Web / TV Conference System (March – May 2018)Evaluation of candidates to complete the proposed research, etc. Their communication skills and logical way of thinking will also be explored through these interviews.

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Practical information for candidates

1. Before Applying……..

2. Preparation of Application Documents

3. During selection

1. Please note that the ABE initiative is not a simple scholarship program :

This program was not designed to train intellectuals (e.g. professors) in future.It offers the opportunity for participants to gain practical skills in order to apply his/heracademic knowledge to real situations . This is why an internship in a Japanesecompany is included in the program. Participants are expected to contribute to theindustrial development of Cameroon and strengthening economic ties between Japanand Cameroon.

This program is implemented through a bilateral agreement between Cameroon andJapan, participants will then be considered as ambassadors for both countries.

… And if the objective and content of the program match your background and professional project, we are waiting towards your application!

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1. Before Applying……..


3. During selection

2. ①Carefully choose the degree/ field and university that best suit to you: What is your career goal? Which degree do you select to meet your goal? Is it

consistent with your career so far? Which universities and degrees are suitable to your research plan? Which

laboratories, which professors?

1) For information on universities and accredited institutes : Go to the portal website http://www.education-japan.org/africa/index.htmlAnd click on: « Detailed University Information »

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3). The list of universities. Please go to each link for the details.

This is the very important step in order to select a university who provides the course of your research theme. Some professors accept an inquiry via mail. Thus, we strongly recommend the potential applicants to click the link of university to search for the detailed information.

2). Choose the field of your study or write the keyword for search

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1. Before Applying ……..


3. During selection

2. ②Carefully fill in the Application Form: It will be studied by Japanese universities : quality of writing the document in English will be a crucial factor for the selection of the candidate. Note that you are competing with candidates from 54 other countries!

How to prepare? Please see the Application Guidebook;https://www.jica.go.jp/cameroon/english/office/others/c8h0vm0000b7cpfg-att/abe_02.pdf


1) Application documents to be submitted: • Check Lists• Application Form •Undergraduate Degree Graduation Certificate (BAC +3 and if applicable, Master’s Degree Graduation Certificate) • Academic Transcript for all the academic years during the undergraduate program (if applicable, those during the Master’s degree Program) •Letter of Recommendation by your Government, Employer, Professor, Embassy of Japan, JETRO, JICA, or Japanese enterprises. •Copy of ID with Photo (Passport is the most preferable) •8 ID photos (4cm x 3cm)

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Practical information for candidates2) Preparation of applications 1. Try to fill in the application form by typing directly in word document. JICA

does NOT accept the application form written by hand. 2. The Letter of Recommendation should be submitted from your organization,

employer, or professor. The designated form of recommendation available in our site should be used.

3. All the costs of the preparation for and submission of the application documents including postal fees and translation of application documents (including graduate certificate and transcripts) shall be in charge of each applicant.

4. An application which lacks necessary documents at the preliminary process of basic screening may NOT be considered as a valid application. Therefore, an applicant who missed necessary documents at the time of application may be disqualified before the 1st selection.

5. All the documents written in French or other languages should be translated in English attached with notarized copies of the original document. The translated version should be certified as original by the authority (sous-préfecture, Commissariat).

Be careful!!Most of universities will be

closed during the application period (July–

August)

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1. Before Applying ……..


3. During selection


2. ③Be ready for English Exam (TOEFL)：http://www.ets.org/toeflSome other useful links：http://www.anglaisfacile.com/ http://www.anglaiscours.fr/ https://fr.duolingo.com/https://www.britishcouncil.fr/anglais/en-ligne https://www.loecsen.com/

2. ④Carefully write your research plan. Try to give the information/explication as specific as possible on your research plan. It is one of the most important document for JICA (at the second selection) and Professors (at the third and forth selection) to evaluate your qualification. Thus, try to take a maximum time to plan, to structure, and to write the research plan.

In addition, applicants are encouraged to consult with teachers and supervisors to obtain information and guidance for the formulation of their research Plan.

Here are a few reference websites:The Writing Center, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus http://www2.smumn.edu/deptpages/~tcwritingcenter/Forms_of_Writing/ResearchProp osal.htm

Oxford University: Direct Guidelines to Writing a Research Proposal http://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/graduate/apply/research_proposal.html

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1. Before applying ……..


3. During selection

2. ⑤Gather the required documents : Please check very carefully if all the necessary documents are

enclosed in the envelope. All the costs related to preparation for the application documents,

including the transmation fee, postal fee, etc. are in charge of eachapplicant,

Application period : August 1 to October 13, 2017 by 16h30Information and Application documents are available

from early August 2017 inhttp://www.education-japan.org/africa/index.html#contents01

All the application forms arriving after this time cannot be accepted by any reasons.

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3. During selection

2. ⑥Submit to JICA Cameroon Office:

Application period : August 1 to October 13, 2017 by 16h30

All the necessary documents have to submitted to…….For all the candidates in Cameroon, Central African Republic and Chad JICA Cameroon Office both by postal services or by direct submission.

Option for Chadian candidates;You can submit the documents in the Ministry of Economy and DevelopmentPlanning,

Attention: M. Assileck Soumaine, le Comptable principal – Assistant Administratif E-mail: [email protected] Tel: +235-90151535

All the application forms arriving after this time cannot be accepted by any reasons. JICA does not accept any documents sent via E-mail.

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2. Preparation of ApplicationDocuments

3. During selection


The reasons for disqualification on each selection step shall NOT BE DISCLOSED by any reason. No exception

The result for the each selection step will be delivered only to those who have successfully passed.

The transportation costs for taking the 1st, 2nd and 4th selections be borne by the applicants.

At the each selection step, the candidates who do not come to the designated time are not allowed to take a selection step (written exam, interviews), and thus, automatically disqualified by any reason. No exception.

What is the result?Why am I disqualified?How wasmy result?

Useful Information

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Information and application forms are available from early August, 2017 in http://www.education-japan.org/africa/index.html#contents01

Also, the information for how to prepare for the application form will be available in our website http://www.jica.go.jp/cameroon/english/index.html.

The application period: August 1st to October 13th 2017 (those documents should be arrived at JICA Cameroon Office by 16h30)

In case that you have any inquiries for the preparation of application documents or the way to fill in the application form, contact JICA Cameroon Office or send E-mail:

•JICA Cameroon Office : Telephone : (+237) 222 204 214, Fax :(+237) 222 204 213 E-mail. [email protected] in Charge: Ms. Charlène Nana, Djiani, Ms. Saori KONAN, Ms. Amougou MemongFidelie Helene,

Student life guide for foreign students in Japanhttp://www.jasso.go.jp/study_j/index_e.htmlhttp://www.jpss.jp/en/http://studyinjpn.com/en Japaneses companies– Japan Business Federation http://www.keidanren.or.jp/en/ General information, Japanese culture:http://www.jetro.go.jp/en/trends/http://web-japan.org/index.html Economic news in Japanhttp://www.japantoday.com/http://www.newsonjapan.com/business/

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