How an Indonesian Engineer Secured the Fully Funded MEXT Scholarship to Study a Master's in Robotics at Kanazawa University, Japan

Hi, my name is Reno Muhammad Fadilla, and I am from Indonesia. I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree at Kanazawa University, Department of Frontier Engineering, Intelligence Mechatronics Engineering Laboratory in Japan. My research is about developing a robot manipulation system for a fruit harvesting robot.

MEXT Scholarship Details

I was awarded the MEXT Scholarship by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to study at Kanazawa University in Japan. The scholarship covers full tuition, round-trip airfare (upon arrival and after graduation), and a monthly stipend of approximately 144,000 JPY.

I was also offered a scholarship from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Saudi Arabia, where I was accepted into the Department of Electrical Engineering, Power Generation Engineering Laboratory. This scholarship included full tuition, round-trip airfare (including one annual holiday trip), on-campus housing, and a monthly stipend of around 2,500 SAR.

After careful consideration of the benefits and alignment with my passion, I chose to pursue my studies at Kanazawa University in Japan.

Educational Background

I graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from the State Islamic University of Bandung (UIN Bandung), Indonesia, achieving a GPA of 3.84 out of 4.00. My thesis focused on developing a home-scale automated solar energy system. After graduation, I worked as a Research and Specialist for Smart Farming products at one of Indonesia’s largest IT companies. With over a year of professional experience and encouragement from my former manager, I became highly motivated to pursue a master’s degree. Given my research and experience in sustainable IoT-driven green technology, I explored two specialization paths: agricultural technology and solar energy harvesting. After a rigorous selection process, I was admitted to two universities: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Saudi Arabia (QS #100) and Kanazawa University in Japan (QS #800)

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Kanazawa University?

Since English is not my first language, I have put significant effort into improving my skills. I attended an external English course and studied independently using resources like the Longman TOEFL Preparation book, YouTube videos, British podcasts, and daily practice exercises. I dedicated around 2-3 hours each day to studying English after finishing my regular student activities. Although I initially struggled and needed five attempts to achieve a CEFR B2-equivalent score on the TOEFL, my perseverance paid off. Passing the TOEFL boosted my confidence, and I successfully achieved a CEFR B2-equivalent score on my first IELTS attempt.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Scholarship?

Starting from the 5th semester of my bachelor's degree, I was motivated by alumni sharing sessions and encouragement from my supervisors to pursue higher education. I actively prepared for admission requirements by obtaining English certifications, excelling academically, writing journal articles, and participating in academic conferences. During my studies, I received a partial scholarship from the local government's Department of Education, which provided approximately 12 million Rupiahs annually. This scholarship significantly supported my preparations, especially in covering costs for English courses and tests. As graduation approached, I began applying to universities abroad, particularly in countries known for their advanced IT and electrical power technologies, including Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and European nations.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

Although I faced multiple rejections from universities, each rejection became an opportunity to evaluate and improve my applications. Two key aspects required careful preparation: my Curriculum Vitae (CV) and English certification.

For a strong CV, gaining diverse experiences relevant to my academic background was essential. With my engineering background, I actively engaged in research activities, published journals and academic papers, served as a laboratory assistant, participated in engineering competitions, and took leadership roles in engineering-related organizations, including serving as the chairman of my university's robotics club.

English proficiency was equally important. Despite having strong experiences, inadequate English skills could still lead to rejection. Therefore, improving my English test scores became crucial to increasing my chances of acceptance at various universities.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

If I could turn back time, I would dedicate more time to improving my English skills earlier, allowing me to achieve a higher score sooner, since English has become a "passport to the world."

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

Prepare your best experiences, study hard, surround yourself with friends who share the same dream, stay close to loved ones who support you, and dedicate more time to learning English. Define your passion, and you will find your own path. Most importantly, keep your faith in God, and He will ease your journey.