Nicholas Bird, a junior majoring in Japanese Language and Literature and International Affairs with a minor in Economics was selected as the 2024 recipient of the MEXT scholarship. The Japanese government awards this highly competitive reward and provides airfare to Japan, tuition for the university, and a stipend for the cost of living for one school year to study in Japan.
“I have only gotten this far due to the amazing support of all of my professors at GW,” said Bird. The applicant screening process consists of a written examination, an interview, and a final screening in Tokyo. Bird spent his sophomore year at Waseda University in Shinjuku, Japan, which is considered a “Japanese Ivy”. Bird also spent time in Japan over the summer for an internship through Elliott’s Freeman Foundation Scholarship.
“My dream is to be in a role where I can work to build bridges between Japan and the U.S., as well as be a bridge myself. I hope to be another piece in helping to create a continued good relationship in our vital international partnership,” Bird said.
Bird plans to apply to the Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) position through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program following his anticipated Fall 2025 graduation. This position requires fluency and is based on translation and interpersonal communication.
“Receiving thoughts and ideas from people with completely different upbringings will help me see things from different perspectives and think more imaginatively. I think this is important in our increasingly globalized world,” said Bird.
Dr. Takae Tsujioka, a Japanese language associate professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, expressed her excitement and how impressed she is by Bird’s accomplishment. “It was an incredible accomplishment after just two years of Japanese study. The MEXT scholarship is a further testament to his hard work and dedication to Japanese study.”
The MEXT scholarship is highly competitive, with hours-long exams and a particularly selective process for U.S. undergraduate students. The Embassy of Japan congratulated Bird via Instagram.