Japan

こんにちは！日本へようこそ、名古屋！
Hi there! Welcome to Japan, Nagoya!

Nagoya is a manufacturing powerhouse, centered in the middle of Japan and home to many of the world’s largest Japanese companies in the fields of automotive, aviation and robotics. Companies that had emerged from Nagoya include world-renowned brands such as Toyota, Denso, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Brother Industries.

Japanese corporates in Nagoya are undergoing a historical transformation spurred by the accelerated development of digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, internet-of-things, big data, and 5G. The Japanese innovation culture is evolving to embrace open innovation and collaboration.

Immerse yourself in the high-tech development in Nagoya and be a part of the transformation.

NOC Japan (Nagoya) is a 6-month programme tailored initially for NUS PhD students. However, with the successful launch of this programme, NOC Japan is now offering to NUS undergrad students!

Academic Details

From AY2024/25 Sem 2 intake onwards

The NOC Japan [Nagoya) (6-month) programme is credit-bearing and students will receive up to 20 units.

NOC Components	Units
Internship courses	16
Entrepreneurship course	4
Total Units (Maximum)	20

From AY2023/24 Sem 2 intake onwards

The NOC Japan [Nagoya) (6-month) programme for PhD student is credit-bearing and students will receive up to 12 units.

NOC Components	Units
Internship courses	12
Total Units (Maximum)	12

Click here for detailed programme curriculum.

Financial Details

Students should expect to pay some amount out of their own pocket for the monthly expenses they would have incurred if they had remained in Singapore. This personal contribution, together with the monthly stipend should be sufficient to cover the estimated monthly cost of living overseas at about SGD2,000. Students continue to pay regular tuition fees to NUS for the duration of the programme, while programme costs will be borne by NOC. Personal expenditures are expected to vary, as it depends on the individual preferences and lifestyle.

NUS Overseas Colleges will provide or cover the following:

Tuition fees for approved entrepreneurship courses at the partner university (if applicable)
Internship assessor appointed to supervise student on internship
Start-up mentorship for student
*NUS student travel insurance & iSOS Services
Cost of visa application
Basic medical checkup fee at UHC

Note: If students withdraw from NOC before or during the programme, any incurred costs, NOC funding support and/or awards, or Singapore government financial support must be returned to NOC/NUS on a pro-rated basis, depending on the stage of withdrawal.

Students need to pay:

Your regular tuition and other miscellaneous fees to NUS
Round trip air ticket to Japan
Regular overseas living expenses
Additional expenses incurred for personal/recreational activities
Repeat or additional medical tests, consultations, medications, or other treatments at UHC

*All NUS students travelling overseas for activities or purposes approved, endorsed, organized, sponsored or authorised by NUS will be covered by the NUS Student Travel Insurance Policy. More details can be found here: https://myportal.nus.edu.sg/studentportal/student-insurance/all/

Alumni Voices

Justin Soon Jien Khye

NOC Japan | Aug 2025 Intake
School of Computing | Computer Science

I’m incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to intern in Japan as part of the NOC Japan Programme. I worked as a Machine Learning Engineer Intern at Elephantech Inc., a Tokyo-based Japanese green-tech startup pioneering sustainable metal inkjet printing technology to manufacture eco-friendly printed circuit boards and advanced electronics.

Although the programme was initially intended for NUS students to intern in Nagoya and experience the startup culture in the Aichi prefecture, as my company has offices in both Nagoya and Tokyo, I was privileged to experience working in Tokyo as well, one of the world’s leading startup ecosystems. During my time in Tokyo, I had the chance to meet and interact with founders and engineers from all over the world, including people from San Francisco and even Singapore, which gave me valuable exposure to the global startup and tech scene and allowed me to build meaningful connections.

In addition, through making Japanese friends, attending networking events, and participating in events hosted by Nagoya University, I was also able to significantly improve my Japanese and gain a much deeper cultural understanding. While I spent most of my time in Tokyo, I also visited and worked in Nagoya, where I experienced a more manufacturing-focused different side of Japan’s innovation landscape. Together, these experiences gave me a unique and well-rounded perspective on both Japan’s startup ecosystem and its strengths in deep-tech and manufacturing.

Muhammad Taha Zameel Bin Mahmood Shah

NOC Japan | Jan 2025 Intake
NUS Business School | BBA

I'm Taha, a Y3 Finance Student from NUS. I had the privilege of interning in Nagoya as part of my NOC journey from January to June 2025.

I worked at a Venture Capital firm called MTG Ventures. It is a venture capital subsidiary of MTG Inc, which sells famous health and well-being related products such as ReFa, RED and SIXPAD. It was an incredibly valuable experience for me as I managed to work in a completely Japanese setting for the first time in my life, and I learnt all about the promising world of Venture Capital in Japan through my colleagues who guided me through every single day of work.

What I particularly enjoyed was the opportunity to meet new people every day. I managed to network with inspiring startup founders from all over Japan, as well as other well-known investors in the Chubu region. As I am a very curious person by nature, the plethora of industries which I was exposed to gave me deep insights into Japan. The manufacturing industry in particular greatly resonated with me, as it is the staple of Aichi Prefecture.

I was also very grateful to be given the opportunity to network with students from Nagoya University through Imaizumi-Sensei. If it wasn't for him, my only friends in Nagoya would have been the other two interns in Yuan Zheng and Alicia.