ADB–Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP)

The ADB–Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP) is a fully funded Master’s scholarship for citizens of developing member countries of the Asian Development Bank, financed by the Government of Japan and administered by the Asian Development Bank. Since April 1988 it has offered graduate study at 27 designated educational institutions across Asia and the Pacific, including 17 in Japan. Scholars return to their home country after their studies to apply and share their new knowledge and skills to promote socio-economic development.

Overview

The ADB-JSP funds approved Master’s courses only, at institutions formally designated under the programme — not every Master’s degree at a designated institution qualifies. There is no direct application to the Asian Development Bank: candidates apply through a designated institution, the institution screens and nominates candidates, and the Bank makes the final selection. The programme covers development-related fields in four broad groups, and each designated institution offers only specific approved courses within them.

Scholarship Benefits

The programme provides:

• Full tuition fees.
• A monthly subsistence allowance, including housing.
• Books and instructional materials.
• Medical insurance.
• Travel expenses.
• For scholars engaged in research, a special grant may be available for thesis preparation. In special circumstances, computer literacy, preparatory language and other similar courses may be covered.

What it does NOT cover / not published: the Asian Development Bank publishes no stipend amount — the monthly allowance is listed as a category, not a figure, so no amount is stated here. The award does not fund a second Master’s degree, and it does not fund study at an institution that is not designated under the programme.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet all of the following conditions, as published by the Asian Development Bank:

• Be a national of an ADB borrowing member country and a Japanese ODA scholarship-eligible country. The Bank publishes a list of 40 eligible developing member countries and areas on its programme page.
• Not hold dual citizenship of any developed country.
• Have gained admission to an approved Master’s course at a Designated Institution.
• Hold a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent with a superior academic record.
• Have at least two years of full-time professional working experience acquired after the university degree, at the time of application, with proficiency in oral and written English communication skills.
• Be not more than 35 years old at the time of application, unless waived in exceptional cases with the expressed endorsement of the Government of Japan.
• Be in good health.
• Agree to return and work in the home country for at least two years after completion of studies under the programme.
• Not be an Executive Director, Alternate Director, management, staff or consultant of the Asian Development Bank, or a close relative of any of them; not be staff of an ADB-JSP Designated Institution; not be living or working in a country other than the home country; and not be already enrolled in a graduate degree programme.

Individual designated institutions may add their own conditions — for example, the East-West Center route does not accept applicants seeking a second Master’s degree. Check the conditions of the institution you apply to.

Available Fields

Four broad field groups, as published by the Asian Development Bank:

• Science and Technology — including Agriculture, Biological Science, Computer Science, Energy, Engineering, Environment, Forestry, Genetics and Health.
• Economics, Business and Management — including Accounting, Business Administration/Management, Commerce, E-Business, Entrepreneurship, Economics, Finance, International Cooperation and Social Sciences.
• Development Studies — including Asia Pacific Studies, Development Management and Development Studies.
• Law and Public Policy — including International Business Law, International Environmental Law, Policy Studies, Political Science, Public Administration and Public Policy.

Each designated institution offers approved Master’s courses within these groups only. Choose an approved course — not every Master’s degree at a designated institution qualifies.

Required Documents

The Asian Development Bank publishes no fixed document list for the programme as a whole. Its application route states that candidates send the required application documents to the partner institution, including the ADB-Japan Scholarship Program information sheet. The documents each institution asks for — such as transcripts, a CV, a research plan, English test scores and recommendation letters — differ by institution, so follow the document list on the chosen institution’s own ADB-JSP page.

Application Process

1. Choose a designated institution and an approved Master’s course from the list on the ADB-JSP programme page. Apply at least six months before your intended start of study.
2. Request information and application forms from your chosen partner institution.
3. Complete and send the required application documents, including the ADB-Japan Scholarship Program information sheet, to the partner institution. No separate application to the Asian Development Bank is necessary.
4. The partner institution assesses and shortlists applicants; the Bank makes the final selection of scholars.

Two verified institution routes for 2027 entry:

• University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences (GSFS) — Autumn Semester 2027 entry, starting 1 October 2027. Apply by 10 December 2026 for most departments. Applicants to the Department of Integrated Biosciences follow Entrance Examination Schedule B instead. See the official GSFS page: University of Tokyo GSFS — ADB-Japan Scholarship Program.
• East-West Center / University of Hawai’i at Manoa — Fall 2027 entry. Submit the East-West Center ADB-JSP scholarship application and a separate University of Hawai’i at Manoa admission application by 1 December 2026, 11:59 PM Hawaii Standard Time. This route accepts applications every other year. See the official East-West Center page: East-West Center — ADB-Japan Scholarship Program.

Important Dates

Event	Date
University of Tokyo GSFS — application deadline (Autumn 2027 entry, most departments)	10 December 2026
East-West Center / University of Hawai’i at Manoa — application deadline (Fall 2027 entry)	1 December 2026, 11:59 PM HST
University of Tokyo GSFS — Autumn Semester begins	1 October 2027

There is no single deadline — each designated institution sets its own date. Check the date on the page of the institution you apply to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there one ADB-JSP deadline?

No. There is no single ADB-wide deadline. Each of the 27 designated institutions sets its own timetable — for example, the University of Tokyo GSFS route closes on 10 December 2026 and the East-West Center route closes on 1 December 2026, both for 2027 entry.

Can I apply directly to the Asian Development Bank?

No. There is no separate application to the Bank. You apply to a designated institution, which screens and nominates candidates; the Bank makes the final selection.

How much is the monthly allowance?

The Bank does not publish an amount. The programme lists a monthly subsistence allowance, including housing, as a category — no figure is stated on the official programme page.

Who can apply?

Nationals of ADB borrowing member countries that are Japanese ODA scholarship-eligible, with a Bachelor’s degree, at least two years of full-time professional work experience after the degree, and admission to an approved Master’s course at a designated institution. Applicants must be 35 or under at application and must be living and working in their home country.

Which Master’s degrees are covered?

Only approved Master’s courses at the 27 designated institutions, in the four field groups above. Not every Master’s degree at a designated institution qualifies.

Official source: Asian Development Bank — ADB-Japan Scholarship Program