Research Intern (Mobility Capital Index)

We invite applications from Master's and doctoral students, and from recent graduates, for two full-time Research Internships of three to six months in the Mobility Capital programme, starting from February 2027 on a rolling basis. Interns work with the Research Fellow and the Head of Research on the data foundation of the first edition of the Mobility Capital Index. Internships may be based in Tokyo or, by agreement, conducted remotely.

Your tasks

• Collect and code primary source material on national talent and skilled-migration programmes (statutes, regulations, programme guidance, fee schedules, processing statistics) for the Index jurisdictions, following the programme's coding protocol.
• Build and document structured datasets, including source provenance and version history, in the programme's open-data repository.
• Prepare literature summaries on composite indicators, skilled migration, credential recognition, career capital and human–AI collaboration.
• Assist with the design and piloting of surveys and vignette studies, including translation checks where you have the relevant language.
• Present your work in the programme's internal research seminar; contribute to a working paper or technical note where the work warrants it, with authorship credited accordingly.

Your profile

• Enrolled in, or recently completed, a Master's or doctoral programme in the social sciences, law, public policy, data science or a related field.
• Careful, documented work with legal and policy texts; interest in measurement and comparative institutions.
• Working knowledge of R or Python, or of spreadsheet-based data management with a willingness to learn.
• Good written English. Reading ability in Japanese, Chinese, French, German or another language of an Index jurisdiction is an advantage and will be matched to the jurisdictions you work on.

What we offer

• A paid internship (monthly stipend set according to qualifications and Tokyo standards for research internships; commuting allowance for Tokyo-based interns).
• Structured supervision by the Research Fellow and the Head of Research, a written reference on completion, and named credit in the Index documentation for contributed datasets.
• Participation in MTRI's research seminars and, for Tokyo-based interns, in the Institute's working life alongside its AI engineering team.
• Support with the appropriate short-term visa status for Tokyo-based interns from abroad, where applicable.
• Consideration for doctoral collaboration or for the programme's Research Assistant position planned for 2027.

Application

Please submit, as a single PDF in English, through yuyi.jin@mtri.co.jp or LinkedIn Easy Apply: (1) a short letter of motivation (half a page), stating your preferred start date, duration and whether you would be Tokyo-based or remote; (2) a curriculum vitae; (3) a transcript or list of relevant coursework; (4) one writing sample or codingsample (a link is sufficient).