Fully Funded Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship (JJ/WBGSP) for International Students

The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship program has announced it accepting applications from international students for this year’s scholarship program. Citizens of specific developing nations who have supported their government’s development efforts in the past and have relevant professional expertise are eligible to apply to the JJ/WBGSP for Masters Programs in development-related fields. This for students who are already admitted to one of the 52 selected Participating Master’s Programs.

Since its establishment in 1987, more than 6,000 mid-career professionals from 160 developing nations as well as Japan have been able to complete graduate degrees in fields related to development thanks to JJ/WBGSP. The JJ/WBGSP is entirely funded by the government of Japan each year.

Subject to available funding, JJ/WBGSP offers scholarships for 52 Participating Master’s Programs in 27 universities in the U.S., Europe, Africa, Oceania and Japan in key areas of development, including economic policy management, tax policy, and infrastructure management.

Programme

Master’s degree

Targeted Countries

International students

Location

US, Europe, Africa, Oceania and Japan

Duration

2 years

Eligibility Criteria for the Scholarship

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicant must:

Be a national of a World Bank member developing country
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.
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.
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.

Note

Please note: All eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made. Eligibility criteria WILL NOT change during an open call for applications. However, this information is subject to change between the close of one application process and the opening of the next.

Selection Criteria

Two qualified assessors independently review each eligible application and score the application on a scale of 1 to 10, taking into account four main factors and the degree of cohesion among them:

Quality of Professional Experience (30% weight)
Quality of Professional Recommendations (30% weight)
Quality of Commitment to your Home Country (30% weight)
Quality of Education Background (10% weight)

The JJ/WBGSP Secretariat uses the average score of the two assessors and the following criteria to select the finalists:

Maintaining a reasonably wide geographical distribution of awards
Maintaining a reasonable distribution of awards across gender
Unusual circumstances/hardships, when assessing the employment experience and other aspects of an application;
Giving scholarships to those applicants who, other things being equal, have limited access to financial resources for graduate studies abroad.

Benefits of the Scholarship

Economy class air travel (to and fro)
$500 travel allowance for each trip
Covers tuition fee
Basic medical insurance costs
Monthly allowance to cover all living expenses (accommodations, food, etc., including books)

Note

The 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

How to Apply for the Scholarship

Applicants are required to be admitted for one of the JJ/WBGS Participating Master’s Program before applying for this scholarship. Candidates should ensure the online form is properly filled and submitted. Application will not be processed if insufficient information is provided.

For further information about the scholarship application process, kindly CLICK HERE to visit the official webpage.