Special Grant Program for International Students (October 2025)

Special Grant Program for International Students / Research Assistant Program of Graduate School of Environmental Science (October 2025)

This program will select students who can likely contribute internationally in their research field, from those applying to doctoral courses at the Graduate School of Environmental Science.
Participating in research as a Research Assistant (RA) is very meaningful to develop your research ability. Each Research Assistant must serve to achieve the objective of a research subject directed by a Graduate School of Environmental Science faculty member. The research subjects are listed below.

Period

Maximum 3 years, with the annual extension subject to evaluation of achievements by a faculty committee.

Qualifications of application (Eligibility):

Students (mainly from developing countries) who seek admission to the doctor courses of the Graduate School of Environmental Science.
〈Notes〉
If the students of this Special Grant Program are also selected as recipients of the doctoral fellowships, they must choose one of them and decline the others.

Payment Exemption / RA Allowance:

Payment Exemption: Total amount of school fees is entirely covered by Hokkaido University (i.e., entrance exam fee of 30,000 yen, admission fee of 282,000 yen, and the annual tuition fee of 535,800 yen for each of three years). RA Allowance (depending on the actual working time): Total 3 million yen (1 million yen annually for three years)
The applicant should meet travel expenses for the entrance exam.

Application Deadline

16 June (Monday)  2025

Application for the program:

Applicants are required to submit the documents listed below via email. The documents should not be written in a language other than English.

1. Curriculum vitae with the applicant’s photograph
2. Academic transcripts
3. Graduation certificate
4. A list of publications and presentations in scientific meetings
5. A research proposal
6. Direction and comments of potential supervisor and at least one co-supervisor, including proofs of communication between you and the potential supervisors
7. Master’s thesis or other documents in proof of your research ability

Reference and address to apply

Academic Affairs Section
Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University
E-mail: kyomu (at) ees.hokudai.ac.jp

List of possible research subjects (October 2025)

Title:  Multi-Sensor Geospatial Data for Enhanced Environmental Monitoring and Disaster Impact Assessment
Associate Professor: Ram Avtar

The increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters globally-such as typhoons, landslides, and forest fires-are significantly disrupting terrestrial ecosystems. Effective monitoring and timely assessment of these disturbances are critical for mitigating their impacts and supporting ecosystem resilience. Advancements in multi-sensor remote sensing technologies offer powerful tools for tracking changes in forest cover, detecting deforestation and degradation, and evaluating post-disaster ecosystem recovery. Integration with ground-based observations and advanced machine learning algorithms, these geospatial data sources can provide precise and actionable insights for environmental management. This study aims to use multi-sensor geospatial and in-situ data, to develop a comprehensive framework for monitoring terrestrial ecosystems. Special emphasis is placed on contributing to the development of early warning systems to manage disaster impacts. The ideal candidate should possess strong expertise in geospatial technologies, remote sensing, and environmental data analysis, with the ability to contribute meaningfully to cutting-edge research in ecosystem monitoring and disaster risk reduction.