By Nazario Rodriguez Jr.
Horizon news staff

She is the newest local talent to have completed an educational scholarship given by the Government of Japan, finishing the three-year Research Student (Postgraduate) Program, two of the three Japanese Government Scholarships offered to Palau on a yearly basis since 1982.
But more importantly, Emilia Katosang brought with her an important thesis proposing the establishment of a birth registry for Palau, which she will submit soon to the Olbiil Era Kelulau.
The 25-year old daughter of Karen Mobel and Estephan Katosang arrived last month after completing her Master’s degree in International Relations on March 25, 2007 at the Waseda University in Tokyo with her thesis entitled "The Emerging Issues of Citizenship: A Case Study of the Republic of Palau."
Katosang said there is no birth registry system in Palau, thus, her thesis discussed many issues about citizenship.
These include issues on citizenship during the pre-trusteeship period, and/or during the trusteeship period, the transition to Republic status and other related issues such as jus saguinis or citizenship by blood and dual citizenship.
"It’s a very sensitive issue that we Palauan have to seriously consider," said Katosang, who was one of the special guests in a radio talk show yesterday morning as she shared her experiences while studying in Japan.
She said that the scholarship opened a new perspective of the world for her as compared to what she had experienced while she was in Hawaii.
After graduating from Palau High School in 1999, she went to University of Hawaii-Hilo Campus and graduated with two Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and Administration of Justice in December 2003, the same year when she applied for the scholarship to Japan.
She left on April 2004, studied Japanese Language for six months at the Waseda University under the status of research student for one year.
She entered the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies on April 2005 and completed her master’s degree last month.
Katosang hopes to get her first job at the Ministry of State and shared her acquired knowledge and help in fostering relations with other countries.
Meanwhile, the Japan Embassy is now accepting applicants for the two slots for the same scholarship that Katosang had just completed.
The two slots for Research Student "Postgraduate" Course for FY2008 are offered to citizens of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia and Republic of Marshall Islands.
The Government of Japan offers full scholarship covering tuition, fees and allowance for study at Japanese Universities, with a field of study that an applicant majored in, or of related field, during his/or her study at the University and is available in Japan.
The applicant must be under 35 years of age as of April 1, 2007 (i.e. born on and after April 2, 1973), must have a Bachelor’s Degree and who will satisfy the above qualifications by March 2008 may apply.).
Applicants must be willing to study the Japanese Language and to receive instructions in Japanese.
The term of scholarship is either from April 2008 or October 2008 until March 2010 (depending upon the date of acceptance from a University in Japan).
The applicants will be selected based on the review results of the required submission of documents and the result of individual interview by a selection committee in Palau. For the final selection, the Government of Japan will consider nominees from Palau. The results will be announced in January 2008.
Application forms can be obtained at the Embassy of Japan in Koror with telephone numbers 488-6455. Completed Aplication Forms with the required documents must be submitted to the Embassy of Japan not later than 4 p.m. on July 6, 2007.