Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program 2025-2026

The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) is open to citizens of eligible developing countries with relevant professional experience who are pursuing a master’s degree in a development-related field. The program offers scholarships for 41 participating master’s programs across 24 universities worldwide, covering areas like economic policy management, tax policy, and infrastructure management. To apply, candidates must be admitted to one of these specific programs and shortlisted by the university. The scholarship covers tuition, a monthly stipend, round-trip airfare, health insurance, and a travel allowance. Recipients must return to their home country after graduation to contribute to its development.

Scholarship amount and payment:

The JJ/WBGSP scholarship provides the recipient with the following benefits:

• Economy class air travel between your home country and the host university at the start of your study program and immediately following the end of the scholarship period. In addition to the two-way air travel, scholars will receive a US $600 travel allowance for each trip;
• Tuition for your graduate program and the cost of basic medical insurance obtained through the university.
• While on campus during the scholarship period, a monthly subsistence allowance to cover all living expenses (accommodations, food, etc., including books). The amount of the allowance varies depending on the host country.

Please note all JJ/WBGSP scholarships cover the duration of the graduate program or two years, whichever is less.

The JJ/WBGSP scholarship does not cover:

• Visa application(s) costs
• Expenses to bring and/or support a scholar’s family members;
• Extra-curricular courses or training;
• Courses that do not meet the minimum credits required to earn the graduate degree;
• Language training not provided by the graduate program;
• Additional travel during the course of the study program;
• Expenses related to research, supplementary educational materials, field trips, participation in workshops/seminars, or internships; or
• Educational equipment such as computers.
• Resident permit fee

Eligibility Criteria:

Details on Eligibility Criteria for each call for applications are provided in that call’s Application Guidelines, and these detailed eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made.

Broadly speaking, Developing Country nationals must:

• Be a national of a World Bank member developing country on this list;
• Not hold dual citizenship of any developed country;
• Be in good health;
• Hold a bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree earned at least 3 years prior to the Application Deadline date;
• Be employed in development-related work in a paid full- time position at the time of submitting the scholarship application. Have at least 3 years of paid development-related employment since earning a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent university degree) and acquired within the past 6 years from the date of the application deadline. Please see FAQs—Window 1 on how to count qualified part time employment toward this 3-year requirement. Please see Annex 2 of the Application Guidelines for a suggested list of development-related topics. The only exception to this criterion is for developing country nationals from a country that is on the list of Fragile and Conflict States featured in Annex 3 of the Application Guidelines. In such cases, we do take into consideration the limited employment opportunities in those countries.
• On or before the scholarship application deadline date, be admitted unconditionally (except for funding) for the upcoming academic year to at least one of the JJ/WBGSP participating master’s programs located outside of the applicant’s country of citizenship and country of residence listed at the time the call for scholarship applications opens. The letter of admission must be uploaded before submitting the scholarship application. For details, see “How to Apply”.
• Not be an Executive Director, his/her alternate, and/or staff of any type of appointment of the World Bank Group or a close relative of the aforementioned by blood or adoption with the term “close relative” defined as: Mother, Father, Sister, Half-sister, Brother, Half-brother, Son, Daughter, Aunt, Uncle, Niece, or Nephew.
• Individuals who have previously been offered a JJ/WBGSP scholarship but declined it, or have previously received a JJ/WBGSP scholarship but did not graduate, are not eligible to apply again.

How to Apply:

Application guideline for window 1 https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/a9a0daee320c2cdbd44c666e8127fdd1-0050052024/original/2025-Application-Guidelines-for-DevelopingCountryNationals-W1.pdf

Application guideline for window 2 https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/28e1c949305f7d47adc0f0955016756b-0050052024/original/2025-Application-Guidelines-for-DevelopingCountryNationals-W2.pdf

Deadline: Application Window#1
Window 1 will open from January 13 to February 28, 2025 at 12:00 noon EST Application Window #2
Window 2 will open from March 25 to May 23, 2025 at 12:00 noon EST