Join us!

STEP 1: The smell test (fit is all you need)

Interested in joining our lab? Thank you very much for your interest!

You will spend several years with us, so it is important to make sure that our lab is a good fit for you. Fit depends on many things: your research interests, the lab environment, your expectations, your working style, and so on. We strongly recommend that you explore our lab with all five senses before applying; otherwise, we may both end up unhappy!

Here are some ways to do this:

Go through every page of our website. Who works here, and how many students are there? How often do we publish, in which areas and at which venues? What expertise do we have? Is the lab well funded? Do we enjoy our research? What does a typical day look like?

Read the lab intro webpage at JAIST (日本語版はこちら), where Prof. Inoue describes the basic skills he expects from students, how he supervises, and the lab's research direction.

Note that we use English as the common language in all lab activities. You do not need to be fluent, but you should be willing to discuss your research in English.

STEP 2: How to join

For JAIST students

WARNING: We only accept students who have contacted Prof. Inoue before enrolling at JAIST. This policy ensures that (a) there is a good match between students and the lab and that (b) Prof. Inoue can dedicate sufficient time to supervising each student.

For non-JAIST students

Our lab belongs to JAIST, a graduate university in Ishikawa, Japan. JAIST offers both master's and doctoral programs, and welcomes students from around the world at its Ishikawa campus and working professionals (社会人学生) at its Tokyo satellite campus.

NOTE: Students admitted to the Ishikawa campus through the regular examinations are not guaranteed a place in our lab. To secure a place in advance, use one of the following schemes:

Informal pre-approval system (配属研究室入学前内定制度)
For international students only: Examination for Admission on Recommendation for Overseas Residents (Master's or Doctoral)

WARNING: Due to limited capacity, we are currently not accepting master's students in the working-professional program (社会人修士課程) at the Tokyo satellite campus. If you are interested in the doctoral program for working professionals (社会人博士課程), please contact us.

For details, please read the admissions information (日本語版はこちら) and find the scheme that suits you.

For financial support, see JAIST's guide to scholarships.

STEP 3: Talk to us

Please email Prof. Inoue (日本語可) with the following:

How you want to join us (see STEP 2).

Your CV.

A short research plan, covering:

What you want to work on, and why.
How it relates to our research topics.
Which of our papers you found most interesting, and why.

We will read your materials and, if our lab seems a good fit, get back to you.

A lab tour (30 minutes, in person or online) usually goes as follows:

An overview of the lab: research projects and lab activities (10 min)

Free discussion: why you are interested in our lab, your background, your research plan, and any questions you have (20 min)

IMPORTANT: Before the tour, please think about what you want to ask. The conversation is your chance to find out whether our lab is a good fit for you.

We look forward to hearing from you!