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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1. Cooperative Laboratory Study Program （COLABS）
for Graduate Students

For graduate students, Tohoku University offers an Advanced Short-term Exchange Program, called the Cooperative Laboratory Study Program （COLABS）. This program is designed to nurture creative capabilities in ambitious and research-oriented international students related to research in science and engineering, and/or interdisciplinary fields, and to expand their activities into new science and engineering fields. To accomplish this, the program offers scientific research training in the assigned research laboratory as well as basic science, engineering and related courses taught in English. The scientific research training of the Individual Research Training in Lab （IRTLab） will be conducted with the support of the faculty and research group members, through experiments, calculations, theorizations and related activities to confer basic research-related knowledge and techniques. The IRTLab will arrange close and strong academic collaborations between the Tohoku and partner universities. Though the short-term exchange international students are not degree candidates at Tohoku University, through the IRTLab course an experience similar to that of degree students is offered by special arrangements.

The COLABS program also offers courses taught in English on Japanese language, culture, and society aimed at promoting understanding of Japan’s language and social customs. Cultural and intellectual exchange with Japanese students is an integral part of the program. This will be accomplished through class work as well as participation in the various activities of research groups. These education processes will contribute to developing human resources for the global society.

Depending on your home university’s grading requirements, you may also be able to have your successes at Tohoku University credited towards your degree back home. The exchange duration is one semester or one year （less than 12 months）

For further information, see
https://www.cefix.insc.tohoku.ac.jp/ASEP/COLABS/ index.html

COLABS Students after their Individual Research Presentations

Scene of COLABS IRTLab

2. Housing

Tohoku University International House and University House Sanjo are available for the stay at reasonable rates （typically ￥25,000/month, including utilities）.

For further information, see
http://www.bureau.tohoku.ac.jp/ryugaku/english/ kaikan/index.html

University House Sanjo

Single Room in the University House Sanjo

3. Health Insurance

The National Health Insurance Act requires all foreigners who are going to stay （or may possibly stay） in Japan for more than one year to join the National Health Insurance program. Accordingly, all the participants have to join this program while staying in Japan. The amount that the students were asked to contribute in 2010 was approx. ￥1,800/month.

4. Cost of Living

The cost of living in Sendai is typically ￥80,000/ month.

5. About the City of Sendai*

Sendai, the largest city in the Tohoku Region with about one million inhabitants, is located about 350 km to the northeast of Tokyo. It can be reached in two hours from Tokyo by Shinkansen Super express, “the Bullet Train.” It is an important economic and cultural center in northern Japan with many universities, 3. Health Insurance 4. Cost of Living 5. About the City of Sendai* government agencies, and corporate branch headquarters. Sendai, often called the “City of Trees”, is a city known for its pleasant streets lined with many trees, and it is also regarded as an “academic city” with its center on Tohoku University. Because of its northern environment, the summers are cool and the winters are moderately cold. The City is bordered by mountains to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. It has many historic and scenic sites surrounded by unspoiled nature. Sendai is regarded as one of the most pleasant Japanese cities to live in.

*For further information, see
　http://www.stcb.or.jp/eng/index.html