Master's and Ph.D. Students¶

We welcome motivated master's and doctoral candidates whose interests align with our work in information retrieval, retrieval-augmented generation, multimodal intelligence, knowledge graphs, user understanding, and human-centered AI.

How to prepare¶

Before contacting the laboratory, please prepare:

• A curriculum vitae, including your date of birth, educational background, research experience, publications or projects, technical skills, and other relevant experience
• Evidence of language proficiency, if available, such as English or Japanese test certificates, together with copies of relevant awards or honors
• Academic transcripts from your university studies, including both bachelor's and master's programs where applicable
• A clear research plan, prepared in English using the ACM LaTeX template and the recommended structure below. Please also explain how the proposed topic connects to our research themes.
• Your expected application and enrollment schedule

Research plan format¶

Please prepare the research-plan draft using the ACM Primary Article Template. If working locally, download and extract the template package and begin with sample-acmlarge.tex. If working in Overleaf, select the ACM Journals Primary Article Template from the available ACM templates.

Please consult the ACM Transactions on Information Systems author guidelines for style details and follow the ACM citation and reference format.

Use the following outline as a reference:

1. Research Title
2. Introduction — Use two or three paragraphs to explain the research background, relevant studies, open challenges, and research focus clearly.
3. Proposed Research — Use two or three paragraphs to describe the proposed method or model, its novelty, possible datasets for evaluation, and expected results.
4. Research Milestones — Briefly present the planned research milestones and schedule.
5. References — Include the key papers relevant to the proposed research.

Online Interview¶

After receiving the materials above, we will review them as soon as possible. If your background and proposed research are a good fit with the laboratory's research and expectations, we will contact you to arrange an online interview.

The interview is normally conducted in English and takes approximately 30 minutes. It may include, but is not limited to:

• A 15-minute presentation covering your self-introduction, previous research or published papers, proposed research plan, and other relevant experience
• A question-and-answer session about your background, research experience, proposed study, and application plans

Admissions¶

Application deadlines, eligibility, examinations, and required documents are governed by the relevant University of Tsukuba program. Refer to the official Graduate School admissions information for current requirements.

Contacting the laboratory does not replace the university's formal application process.

Scholarship information¶

Prospective and enrolled students may be eligible for scholarships or other financial support. Availability is competitive, requirements vary by year and student status, and admission to II-Research does not guarantee financial support.

Before enrollment: MEXT Scholarship¶

The Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship is a major option for international graduate students. The University of Tsukuba explains two application routes:

• Embassy Recommendation — applicants begin through the Japanese embassy or consulate in their country.
• University Recommendation — candidates are nominated through university selection; availability and the number of nominations are limited.

MEXT Scholarship information →

After enrollment: University and private scholarships¶

The University of Tsukuba provides information about the Tsukuba Scholarship and scholarships offered by private foundations. Some require university recommendation, while others accept applications directly from students.

University-recommended scholarships for international students are generally handled through a collective application process after enrollment. Students should monitor current notices and contact their Academic Service Office because schedules and eligibility can change.

University of Tsukuba scholarship portal → University-recommended scholarships →

Entrance fee and tuition support¶

The university also publishes entrance-fee exemption, payment deferment, and tuition-waiver information. Eligibility is assessed under university rules and may depend on financial circumstances, academic performance, enrollment status, and the relevant application period.

Entrance fee and tuition support →