Machiya Metabolism - Kyoto, Japan

Applications closing 30 June 2026.

Information session: 11:00 - 12:00, 24 June 2026, Social Space - Zelman Cowen Building

Application deadline: 30/06/2026 

Application deadline EXTENDED: 20 July 2026

Participant shortlisting: Early July

Acceptance of offer due: Late July

Program dates:

• 8-week course obligation, including 4-week in-country program commencing 18 January 2027
• ARCH3342 runs throughout Teaching Period 2, 2027

The following costs are the responsibility of and should be considered by any participiants interested in applying:

• Round-trip flights to/from Japan
• Food and incidentals
• Other travel-related costs 
• Tuition fees for ADPS3003 (paid by your usual means of tuition payment)

More information will be made available about indicative costs during the info sessions. 

This program is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's New Colombo Plan (NCP) program. Eligible participants will receive a mobility grant of $4,000.00 to support their participation in the program.

NCP Eligibility Criteria

• Citizenship: Must be an Australian citizen
• Enrollment: Must be enrolled in an undergraduate Bachelor degree or Honours degree at an Australian university (Masters students not eligible)
• Academic Credit: The mobility project must be approved for credit (i.e. ADPS3003)
• Location: Cannot be a current citizen or permanent resident of the host location, and cannot have previously been a resident there
• Age: Aged 18 - 28 at the time of departure, although flexibility is allowed for participants over this age range
• Program duration: participate in the entire 28-day program
• Previous Grants: Students can receive a maximum of 2 mobility grants throughout their program

All students participating in the program will be covered by an appropriate level of travel insurance (incl. emergency medical) for the duration of the program.

Other Funding opportunities

• OS-HELP
  OS-HELP is a loan scheme for eligible Commonwealth Supported students who want to undertake part of their studies overseas.

Eligibility criteria is set based on New Colombo Plan requirements, as the program is funded through the initiative.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Australian citizenship: Applicants must be Australian citizens to qualify for the New Colombo Plan short-term mobility program. Successful applicants may not hold Japanese citizenship or residency status. You will be required to submit a valid Australian passport as part of the acceptance process if successful. The passport should be valid for 6 months post-return to Australia.

2. Enrolled in a Bachelor of Architectural Design with elective capacity to enrol in ARCH3342.

• You will ideally have completed at least 1 year (16 units) of your degree. 

3. Age requirement: Applicants should be between ages 18-28. (Applicants over 28 may still apply, but there are limits to the number of grants available.)

4. Academic Standing: Applicants are assessed based on merit, this includes a satisfactory GPA (4.5+), as well as other extra-curricular activities, experiences, or achievements. 

5. Be available to attend the full length of the program (in-country dates: 18 January - 12 February 2027, ARCH3342 also involves assessment outside of the in-country dates).

Other Considerations Under NCP

NCP encourages participation by students from diverse backgrounds. If you fit into any of the categories below, and do not fully satisfy one or more of the eligibility criteria above, please reach out to see how we might be able to support your application.

• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• Low-Socio-Economic Status Background
• From a regional or remote area
• First in your immediate family to attend university
• A person with a disability
• Non-English speaking background

Applications closed.

Please be sure to attend an info session (or watch the recording) prior to submitting your application. Following application closures, a selection panel of representatives from the School of Architecture, Design, and Planning will consider all applications. All applicants will be notified of outcome by early August.

Students participating in a short-term study tour are expected to:

• meet all international travel requirements for the study tour destination
• participate in all mandatory pre-departure activities and completion of pre-departure requirements. 
• commit to and complete the full program duration
• share their study tour experience through an agreed media such as LinkedIn posts, blogs, vlogs or similar media. Details and requirements of the report will be shared prior to departure

Students who withdraw from a study tour after receiving funding will be required to reimburse UQ (up to the amount of the grant) for:

• all cancellation fees associated with flights, accommodation, and other non-refundable program costs, and;
• any funds that may have been received prior to cancellation.

Q. What are the international travel requirements?

To be considered for an international study tour, you will need to:

• Have a valid passport (with a minimum of 6 months validity from end of the program, i.e., the date of arrival in Brisbane)
• Have the means to obtain relevant entry permission for the study tour destination country. This may involve:
  • Applying for, and obtaining a visa in advance through an online platform or other agency
  • Confirming you are eligible for an on-arrival visa where applicable, or
  • Applying for, and obtaining a visa through the destination country’s embassy

If your passport has expired or will expire in the 6 months following the program end, you should commence the passport renewal process. Note that this is not a consideration in your application, but rather a general eligibility criterium. Participants are liable for their own passport application/renewal fees.

Some destinations may require participants to demonstrate evidence of certain vaccinations prior to entry. Generally speaking, this information can be found on DFAT’s Smartraveller website, and will be covered in any pre-departure briefings held for shortlisted participants. Speak to a GP about other, destination-specific vaccinations or preventative medications that may be suited to your personal needs and/or conditions.

Students with pre-existing conditions or accessibility requirements are encouraged to apply, and this will not disqualify you from participation. Please note that dependent on the condition, participants may be required to undergo assessment by a qualified medical professional to endorse fitness for travel.
It is recommended that all applicants familiarise themselves with the UQ's Student Travel Procedure prior to applying for a study tour.

Students will not be considered for programs in countries where they have citizenship or residency status.

Q. Do I need travel insurance?

All participants of EAIT study tours will be covered by an appropriate level of travel insurance under UQ’s existing policy. Please login to view this information.

All participants are required to attend a UQ Travel Insurance briefing session prior to departure. Information will be provided about such events to shortlisted participants.

UQ Travel Insurance covers students for activities that are part of the study tour program schedule. Some activities that participants may take part in during personal time may not be covered under UQ Travel Insurance, e.g., extreme sports, high-risk leisure activities, etc. It is the participant's responsibility to check the UQ Travel Insurance policy to confirm what activities are and are not covered. Organise adequate personal insurance coverage as required.

Q. Do I need to organise my own flight or accommodation?

Grant guidelines stipulate that any expenditure on behalf of a grant recipient should have a clear financial benefit to the recipient.

There is a possibility that participants will need to book and pay for their own flights as part of the tour. This is decided in the planning phase of the tour organisation and is based on whether UQ can obtain competitive rates for a group booking, as compared to participants making individual bookings. 

Shortlisted participants will be made aware of the arrangements for their particular tour upon acceptance into the program. In the event that participants are expected to make their own travel arrangements, part or all of the applicable grant will be released to students to support the cost of booking flights.

Generally speaking, in such cases, recommendations will be made about travel routes, but participants are free to make their own decision, so long as their flight arrives at the destination by the designated date/time.

Participants may arrive earlier or depart later than designated tour dates but should be aware that personal travel on either end of the official itinerary will not be covered by UQ’s travel insurance.

Accommodation is arranged within the official program dates. Personal travel outside of the official program will require participants to make their own arrangements for accommodation.
 

Q. Do I need to apply for a visa?

The University of Queensland will not provide any visa-related services in the event that participants are required to apply for entry permission to a program destination. A session will be organised for shortlisted participants prior to departure to cover entry requirements of the destination country. 

In some cases, a host institution will either apply for, or engage an agency to apply for entry permission on behalf of participants. 

In any case, participants will be advised of the relevant process after acceptance of an offer to participate in their respective program.

All costs for relevant entry visas are borne by participants, including the cost of the visa and costs associated with obtaining the visa (e.g., transport to an embassy if required). 

The EAIT International team can provide supporting documentation for your visa application, e.g. an invitation letter from the host institution. However, UQ and the EAIT International team are unable to assist further with the provision of information relating to visa, aside from what is publicly available on trusted government websites.
 

Q. Will I have free time?

Yes! You will have free time in between the time with your host institution and attending events and activities throughout the program. You will be required to attend events and activities organised by EAIT and the local host throughout the program. You are advised to view the program schedule before making plans for your free time.

Typically, participants can expect to have evenings and coinciding weekends free, although each program is unique and may involve pre-planned weekend activities. Consult your program lead prior to departure.