Intercultural dialogue is one of the topics for 2012 Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowships for post-graduate research. Applicants from designated developing countries should apply to UNESCO through their National Commission.

Reinforcing its belief in “people building the next era”, the Government of Japan offers 20 fellowships per year, for the twelfth consecutive year, to be awarded to deserving candidates from developing countries, especially the least developed countries (LDCs), who are eager to undertake research on one or more of the topics listed below. The aim of the fellowships is to support innovative and imaginative post-graduate research in four areas of development of particular interest to UNESCO.

The UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowships Programme (UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowship Programme) funded under the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the capacity-building of Human Resources will aim, in particular, to impact on capacity-building and research activities in the following areas: Environment (with particular attention to Water Sciences); Intercultural Dialogue; Information and Communication Technologies; and Peaceful conflict resolution. No other research topics will be considered.

Applications must be made through UNESCO National Commissions, responsible for managing the number of candidates put forward (2 per country) with particular priority for women and candidates from least developed countries.

Closing date: 12 January 2012

Research to be undertaken in one or two countries abroad from September 2012 (3-9 months duration)

The countries invited to submit applications include: Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.