Applications for Independent Research Project (IRP) for the 2023-24 Academic Year

Application process

IRP applications for the 2023-24 academic year will take the following process.

Step 1: Contact your preferred supervisor

Students are encouraged to contact their preferred supervisors before the application period, ideally, before the start of Summer Break, to consult their research themes and plans. It is important to do so because …

• That professor may not be available next year due to, for example, sabbatical.
• The student’s research theme may be deviating from the preferred supervisor’s research area and needs an amendment.
• An IRP is a significant commitment for professors as well. IRP supervisors dedicate extra time and effort to supervise individual students. Therefore, most professors prefer to have prior knowledge of applicants to assess their commitment to working on a year-long project.

Students must choose their supervisors among the full-time faculty members of the Faculty of Economics of Keio University.

• List of faculty members

Students are encouraged to fill out the following form

• Request Form（Word）

before consulting their research themes and plans with their preferred supervisors.

<When the preferred supervisor’s contact information is available>

In this case, email your filled Request Form to the professor directly. When emailing, make sure to do the following:

• Fill out the subject line. For example, “Supervision request for IRP.”
• State that you are a PEARL student (It is important for professors to know that it will be an IRP for PEARL, not for Type A/B students, because the academic calendars differ between the two types of students).
• Use your keio.jp email address.

<When the preferred supervisor’s contact information is not available>

In this case, email your filled Request Form to kpro-group@keio.jp. The IRP coordinators will forward the form to the supervisor. When emailing, make sure to do the following:

• Fill out the subject line. For example, “Forward request of my Request Form.”
• State that you are a PEARL student.
• Use your keio.jp email address.

Step 2: Email your application form during the submission period

Applicants complete the following Application Form:

• Application Form（Word）

Applicants must ask their preferred supervisors to fill in the “Evaluation by Supervisor” section on the last page of the Application Form before submitting the form. The “Professor’s Signature or Stamp” may be an e-signature (it can be omitted). When emailing, make sure to do the following:

• Fill out the subject line. For example, “IRP Application: Your student ID / Your name.”
• Use your keio.jp address.

Submit to:mita-kei@adst.keio.ac.jp
Submission period: 9:00 on Friday, 22 September, to 16:00 on Monday, 25 September, 2023

Step 3: Acceptance decision will be made

Each Application Form will be evaluated by IRP Coordinators and the designated supervisor. Acceptance decisions will be notified via email to individual students. Upon acceptance, students must attend a guidance session that will be held online on Saturday, October 7th, 1:00 pm – 1:40 pm.

Contact & Inquiry

Questions can be sent to kpro-group@keio.jp. When emailing, make sure to do the following:

• Fill out the subject line of your email. For example, “Enquiry to IRP: Name, Year.”
• Use your keio.jp email address.