ΠΕΡΙΕΧΟΜΕΝΑ

Success in MEXT Scholarships for Graduate of the Agricultural University of Athens, Maria Chatziioannidi.

Date: 
Wednesday 16 Jul 2025

Ms Maria Chatziioannidi, a 2023 graduate of the Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture of the School of Animal Science at the Agricultural University of Athens, was selected on July 4, 2025, for the prestigious and highly competitive MEXT Scholarship (Monbukagakusho - Japanese Government Scholarship).

The scholarship covers a three-year stay (October 2025 – September 2028) in Japan, where Ms. Chatziioannidi will pursue her doctoral research at the Animal Nutritional Physiology Laboratory under the supervision of Professor Vishwajit Sur Chowdhury, at the Department of Arts and Sciences, Kyushu University, in Fukuoka.

Her selection followed a rigorous evaluation process that included two internal committees at Kyushu University, interviews with Japanese professors, and final approval by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan.

The application required letters of recommendation from her undergraduate thesis supervisor, Assistant Professor Christos Balaskas, as well as from the Rector of the Agricultural University of Athens, Professor Spyridon Kintzios. Additionally, a doctoral dissertation proposal titled “Studies on in ovo L-leucine administration in cellular heat stress response and structural resilience in the upper digestive system of heat-exposed broilers” was submitted, reflecting a collaboration between Assistant Professor Christos Balaskas and Professor Vishwajit Sur Chowdhury.

It is noteworthy that only a limited number of universities approved by MEXT are authorized to nominate candidates for this scholarship (more information: https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/planning/scholarships/mext-scholarships/).

Ms Chatziioannidi’s success was made possible, among other factors, thanks to the prompt and invaluable support of the Rector and the Academic Affairs and Student Welfare Directorate of the Agricultural University of Athens, to whom she expresses her sincere gratitude.