Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program

Brief description:

The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) funds mid-career professionals from developing countries to study a development-related master’s degree. It is funded by the Government of Japan. After graduating, scholars commit to return home and use their new skills for their country’s development.

Host Institutions/Programs of study:

For 2027, there are 44 participating master’s programs at universities in the USA, Europe, Japan and Australia. They include Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Yale, the London School of Economics, Oxford, the University of Tokyo and the Australian National University. Programs are split into Window 1 and Window 2.

Field(s) of study:

Development-related fields, such as public policy, economics, public health, climate change, environmental management, water, taxation, development studies, agricultural development and infrastructure management.

Target group:

Nationals of developing countries on the World Bank’s list of eligible countries

Scholarship value/inclusions/duration:

The scholarship pays tuition, basic medical insurance through the university, and a monthly living stipend. It also pays economy airfare between your home country and the university at the start and end of the program, plus a US$600 travel allowance for each trip.

It covers the length of the master’s program, up to two years.

Eligibility:

For the 2027 round, applicants must:

• be a national of an eligible developing country, without dual citizenship of a developed country;

• hold a bachelor’s degree earned at least three years before the application deadline;

• have at least three years of paid development-related work since the bachelor’s degree, within the past six years, and be working full time in development-related work when applying;

• by the deadline, be admitted unconditionally (except for funding) to a participating program outside their country of citizenship and residence;

• be in good health.

Please refer to the official guidelines for complete eligibility criteria and conditions of the scholarship.

Application instructions:

Applications open 18 January 2027.

First apply to one of the participating master’s programs. Only applicants the university admits and shortlists receive the link to the scholarship application. Window 1 runs from 18 January to 26 February 2027, and Window 2 from 29 March to 21 May 2027, depending on your program.

It is important to see the Application Guidelines and visit the official website (link found below) for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship.

Website:

Official Scholarship Website: https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/scholarships/jj-wbgsp

Related Scholarships: Top 25 Foreign Government Scholarships for International Students