The Amakusa Biological Laboratory accepts students from any country in its MSc and PhD courses. All admitted students will be officially registered as postgraduate students of the Kyushu University, one of the oldest and prestigious universities in Japan. Both MSc and PhD courses are research-orientated and students are required to submit a thesis based on their original research; MSc students are also required to take a number of classroom lectures. Generally, foreign students are admitted in the first instance as a 'non-degree course' research student ('Kenkyu-sei' in Japanese) and subsequently required to take an entrance exam to enrol formally into a MSc or a PhD course. Students intending to follow a PhD course should at least hold a MSc degree and be able to demonstrate their capacity and aptitude for carrying out independent research. Enquiries must be accompanied by a full and detailed CV with a statement of research experience and intentions. As places are limited, only those with demonstrated ability and real interest in research can be admitted. It is also the responsibility of the prospective student to arrange an adequate funding for a postgraduate study; we cannot respond to enquiries about scholarships. If you wish to seek a Japanese Government scholarship ('Monbusho' or MEXT scholarship), enquiries must be made to the Japanese consulate or embassy in the country of your nationality. Students are reminded that it is generally not possible to give a support for their application for a Japanese Government scholarship unless there is clear evidence of excellence (e.g. first-authored papers in journals).

Prospective students should be able to demonstrate a good command of English, as it is the language of communication in this Laboratory: all seminars and scientific presentations are done in English only and theses and papers must be written in English. Students from most Asian and South American countries in particular are strongly recommended to have a certificate of English language issued by recognised UK/USA/international organizations. Students with an insufficient knowledge of English cannot be admitted into a postgraduate study at AMBL.

In this Laboratory, one of the most important activities is research seminars in which all students must participate; these involve discussions on a wide variety of ecological and general biological themes. If you wish to make a serious preparation before joining us, see "Species Coexistence".

Prof M Tokeshi is responsible for all matters of postgraduate admission and supervision.

Chinese students are advised to make enquiries to the Kyushu University Beijing Office "(九州大学北京事务所)". It is recommended that you talk personally to an Officer in Charge to obtain the latest information and have your case handled through an appropriate channel. An early application is a must.