Location: 25 designated institutions across Asia and the Pacific
Program: Postgraduate – Master’s degree
Eligibility: International Students
Duration: 1 to 2 years
Deadline: Varies by institution and intake
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The ADB-Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP) is one of Asia’s most prestigious and long-standing fully funded postgraduate scholarship programmes, established in April 1988 and financed by the Government of Japan through the Asian Development Bank. Offering approximately 130 scholarships per year, the programme supports outstanding citizens from ADB’s developing member countries to pursue Master’s degree studies at 25 designated institutions across Asia and the Pacific, in fields that are critical to sustainable development including economics, business and management, science and technology, public policy, environmental studies, and other development-related disciplines. The scholarship is fully comprehensive, covering full tuition fees, a monthly subsistence allowance including housing, a books and instructional materials allowance, medical and accident insurance, and economy class return airfare between the scholar’s home country and the study institution. For scholars engaged in research, a special thesis preparation grant may also be available.
The ADB-JSP operates through a two-stage application process. Applicants first apply directly to their chosen designated institution, indicating their interest in being considered for the ADB-JSP scholarship. The institution independently screens and ranks applicants, then submits its ranked list to ADB. ADB reviews the institutional nominations and recommends final awardees to the Executive Director of Japan for formal approval. Each designated institution sets its own application deadlines and may have specific programme-level requirements in addition to the core ADB-JSP eligibility criteria, so applicants are strongly advised to contact their preferred institution directly and early, as scholarship deadlines at many institutions fall six to twelve months before the intended start of studies.
Benefits of the Scholarship
This scholarship will provide the following to its recipients:
- Full tuition fees for the entire duration of the approved Master’s programme at the designated institution
- Monthly subsistence allowance
- Housing allowance
- Books and instructional materials allowance
- Medical and accident insurance for the duration of the scholarship
- Economy class return airfare between the scholar’s home country and the study institution
- Special thesis preparation grant for scholars engaged in research (where applicable)
- Other benefits
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Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must meet the following:
- Must be a national of an ADB borrowing member country and a Japanese ODA scholarship-eligible country
- Must not hold dual citizenship of any developed country
- Must have gained admission to an approved Master’s course at an ADB-JSP designated institution
- Must hold a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent with a superior academic record
- Must have at least 2 years of full-time professional working experience acquired after a university degree at the time of application
- Must have proficiency in oral and written English sufficient for graduate-level study
- Must not be more than 35 years old at the time of application (in exceptional cases for programmes appropriate for senior officials, the age limit is 45, with the expressed endorsement of the Government of Japan)
- Must be in good health
- Must agree to return to and work in their home country for at least 2 years after completing studies under the programme
- Must be currently living and working in their home country at the time of application
- Must not be staff of an ADB-JSP designated institution or an ADB Executive Director, Alternate Director, management member, or staff, nor a consultant or relative of any of the aforementioned
- Must not already be enrolled in a graduate degree programme at the time of application
Note: Kindly check the official webpage for full and detailed requirements
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Selection Criteria
Each designated institution screens and ranks applicants independently based on its own selection criteria, taking into account the ADB-JSP eligibility requirements. Institutions typically assess applicants on academic excellence, quality of professional experience, strength of the study proposal and its relevance to development priorities, leadership potential, and commitment to returning home to contribute to national development. Preference is given to women candidates and to applicants with lesser financial capacity, with family income not exceeding USD 50,000 per year and individual income not exceeding USD 25,000 per year at some institutions. The ranked nominations from each institution are then submitted to ADB, which makes final selection decisions based on its own criteria and recommends awardees to the Executive Director of Japan for formal approval.
How to Apply
CLICK HERE to visit the official webpage and submit your application.
