UNESCO and the Government of Japan Opportunities

The 2026 cycle offers research stays of three to nine months in Japan beginning from February 2027 and completed no later than December 2027. Eligible research areas include heritage conservation and management, AI for natural resources and climate action, ethical and human-centred AI, AI for sustainable cities and resilience, and AI and education. Applications must proceed through the applicant's home-country National Commission for UNESCO.

Applicants must be nationals of an invited UNESCO Member State or Associate Member, be no more than 40 years old at application, hold at least a master's degree or equivalent in a relevant field, demonstrate sufficient language proficiency for the proposed host institution, and have acceptance from an academic supervisor at a Japanese university or research institution. Rwanda and Saint Kitts and Nevis are explicitly included in the 2026 invited-country list.