Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda Scholarship
Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda Scholarship was established in 2019 in honour of Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda’s major contribution to the development of the Ireland Japan Association and Ireland-Japan relations, and to underpin the association’s strong commitment to supporting Japanese studies in Ireland.
2024
Scholarship recipient in 2024 – Eloise Maguire, DCU
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The Ireland Japan Association is delighted to announce that in 2024 the Ushioda Scholarship is awarded to Eloise Maguire, studying Applied Languages and Translation Studies at DCU. Eloise will be travelling to Japan for an exchange year at Rikkyo University, Tokyo.
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‘It is a massive honour to receive this scholarship and I plan to make the most of it during my study abroad! While immersing myself in the Japanese language and improving my language skills, I hope to experience the culture and way of life in Japan.’ – Eloise Maguire
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We would like to thank Ms Paula Kelly, IJA Individual Member and the IJA Education, Language and Ushioda Scholarship Subcommittee for support and assistance with the scholarship management and administration process this year.
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2023
Scholarship recipient in 2023 – Ben Murphy, UL
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The Ireland Japan Association is delighted to announce that in 2023 the Ushioda Scholarship is awarded to Ben Murphy, studying Japanese at University of Limerick. Ben will be travelling to Japan for an exchange year at Waseda University, Tokyo.
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My name is Ben, and I have always wanted to explore and discover another culture and language. Studying Japanese in UL has granted me the opportunity to do so. Since my first class in Japanese, I have been captivated by Japan and its history and culture. I have met some of my closest friends, both Japanese and non-Japanese through my studies, and I hope to see them all in Japan when I complete my study abroad in Japanese at Waseda University in Tokyo!’ – Ben Murphy
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The official presentation of the scholarship took place in August 2023 and was hosted by the IJA corporate member – ElectroRoute. Event guests included Ben Murphy, 2023 Ushioda Scholarship award winner, Mrs. Yoshiko Ushioda, IJA founder member and Scholarship Patron, H.E. Mr. Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan to Ireland, Ms. Tsugumi Yamamoto, IJA Vice-Chairperson, Ms. Paula Kelly, Scholarship Programme Coordinator at the IJA Council, and other invited guests.
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We would like to thank Ms Paula Kelly, IJA Council, and Ms Barbara Geraghty, UL, for their support and assistance with the scholarship management and administration process this year.
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POST-SCHOLARSHIP REPORT FROM BEN MURPHY
Coming soon!
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2022
Scholarship recipient in 2022 – Joseph Peter Talento, DCU
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The Ireland Japan Association is delighted to announce that in 2022 the Ushioda Scholarship is awarded to Joseph Peter Talento, studying Business Studies International at DCU. Joseph will be travelling to Japan for an exchange year at Toyo University.
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‘My name is Joseph, a Filipino who is in love with Japanese culture. Growing up I was surrounded and influenced in many ways by Japanese culture, including the language and media. I often found myself staring at videos, watching people visiting Japan and vlogging their experiences studying in the country. When I saw the option to complete an exchange year abroad in Japan with DCU, I thought – why don’t I try that myself? Along the way, I was able to learn more and more about Japanese society. Today, I am months away from beginning my exchange year abroad at Toyo University, under the Faculty of Economics. During these coming 11 months, I plan to really develop my strength in the language, travel as much as I can and overall, see what the realities of life in Japan is truly like!’ – Joseph Peter Talento
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We would like to thank Ms Paula Kelly, IJA Council, for her support and assistance with the scholarship management and administration process this year.
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POST-SCHOLARSHIP REPORT FROM JOSEPH PETER TALENTO
We are delighted to let you know that Joseph Peter Talento, Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda Scholarship winner in 2022, has returned from his studies in Japan and attached you can find his post-scholarship report. To read the report, please click here!
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2021
Scholarship recipient in 2021 – Francis Donnelly, UL
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The Ireland Japan Association is honoured to announce that in 2021 the Ushioda Scholarship is awarded to Francis Donnelly, studying for BA in Applied Languages, University of Limerick. Francis is planning to go to Nagoya University of Foreign Studies to continue Japanese studies during autumn semester next year.
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‘I’m studying Japanese because I find both the country and the language fascinating. Japanese is a language that is enjoyable to learn and very rewarding when put into practice, and learning it is a nice change of pace from the European languages we typically focus on in Ireland. I’m hoping to study in Nagoya, where I aim to increase my proficiency in the language while also experiencing and learning about Japanese culture and history.’ – Francis Donnelly
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We would like to thank Ms Paula Kelly, IJA Council, and Ms Barbara Geraghty, UL, for their support and assistance with the scholarship management and administration process this year.
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POST-SCHOLARSHIP REPORT FROM FRANCIS DONNELLY
Due to Covid 19 restrictions in Japan in 2021, Francis could travel to Japan only in 2022. He has returned from studies in Nagoya University and you can read his post-scholarship report here. To read the report, please click here!
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2020
In 2020, the scholarship was not awarded due to Covid-19 global pandemic.
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2019
Scholarship recipient in 2019 – Sophia Herar, DCU
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In 2019, the scholarship was awarded to Sophia Herar, studying for BA in Applied Language and Translation Studies, DCU. Sophia is going to study in Japan for a year at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies.
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The official presentation of the scholarship took place in August 2019 at DCU with Sophia Herar, Mrs. Yoshiko Ushioda, IJA founder member and Scholarship Patron, Mr. Yasuyuki Ozeki, IJA Vice-Chairperson, Mr. Donagh Morris, IJA Council, Mr. Kenichiro Sasame, Counsellor and DHM of the Embassy of Japan in Ireland and representatives from DCU in attendance.
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I feel honored to have received the scholarship and I am happy that all my hard work these last few years has paid off. I believe that everyone who manages to turn their passion for Japanese into motivation and action, is going to be rewarded for it – be that through a scholarship or the experience of living in Japan itself. I feel incredibly lucky that I get a chance to experience all this and that the IJA and Mrs. Ushioda decided to support me with the scholarship. – Sophia Herar
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We would like to thank Mr. Donagh Morris, IJA Council, and everybody at DCU for their support and assistance with the scholarship management and administration process this year.
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POST-SCHOLARSHIP REPORT FROM SOPHIA HERAR
We are delighted to let you know that Sophia Herar, our first Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda Scholarship recipient, has returned from her studies in Japan and attached you can find her post-scholarship essay. To read the essay, please click here!
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