Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program – Application Guidelines

Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program – If you are seeking a Scholarship Program that can greatly enhance and maximize your learning experience at school, enabling you to dedicate your full energy towards building a strong educational foundation, then look no further.

The JJ/WBGSP welcomes individuals from specific developing countries who possess relevant professional experience and have actively contributed to the development efforts of their respective nations. This prestigious scholarship program is designed for those who are applying to pursue a master’s degree in a field related to development.

Over the years, starting from 1987, the Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program has provided an opportunity for over 6,000 mid-career professionals hailing from 160 developing countries, as well as Japan, to successfully obtain graduate degrees in fields related to development. Being an initiative solely funded by the Government of Japan, the JJWBGSP continues to support these individuals on an annual basis.

In the academic year 2020-2021, the JJ/WBGSP reviewed a total of 1,711 applications. Unfortunately, a significant portion of these applications, specifically 1,478 of them, were determined to be ineligible. This represents a slightly higher fraction compared to previous years.

The reasons for these applications being deemed ineligible are as follows:

• No Letter of Admission or Conditional Letter,
• Does not fulfill employment requirements,
• Lack of bachelor’s degree before May 2017,
• Application Incomplete, Wrong type of Recommendation,
• No Bachelor Degree, Citizenship of a developed country,
• Relatives of or WBG staff or ED member,
• Receive Japanese funds for prior graduate degree

The JJWBGSP provides scholarships for 49 Participating Master’s Programs offered at 27 universities across the United States, Europe, Africa, Oceania, and Japan. These programs focus on critical areas of development, such as economic policy management, tax policy, and infrastructure management.

However, Acadite.com strongly advises all applicants interested in pursuing the JJWBGSP scholarship to initiate the application process as early as possible when the application window becomes available. Taking this proactive approach can increase your chances of successfully completing the application within the designated timeframe.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

The eligibility criteria for each call for applications are detailed in the respective call’s Application Guidelines and are strictly followed without any exceptions.

In general, applicants from developing countries must meet the following criteria:

1. Hold citizenship of a developing country that is a member of the World Bank.
2. Not possess dual citizenship with any developed country.
3. Be in good health.
4. Have obtained a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) at least three years before the Application Deadline date.
5. Possess at least three years of recent work experience in a development-related field after completing a Bachelor’s degree.
6. Be currently employed in a full-time paid position related to development work during the scholarship application submission period. Applicants should have accumulated at least three years of paid development-related employment within the past six years from the Application Deadline date. Qualified part-time employment can also be considered; please refer to FAQs—Window 1 for more information. A suggested list of development-related topics can be found in Annex 2 of the Application Guidelines. An exception to this criterion may be made for applicants from developing countries listed as Fragile and Conflict States in Annex 3 of the Application Guidelines, taking into consideration limited employment opportunities in those countries.
7. Have received an unconditional admission (excluding funding) to at least one of the JJ/WBGSP participating master’s programs located outside the applicant’s country of citizenship and country of residence. The admission letter must be uploaded before submitting the scholarship application. For further details on the application process, refer to “How to Apply.”
8. Not be an Executive Director, alternate Director, or staff member in any capacity at the World Bank Group, or a close relative to the aforementioned individuals (close relative defined as mother, father, sister, half-sister, brother, half-brother, son, daughter, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew).
9. Individuals who have previously been offered a JJWBGSP scholarship and declined it, or have previously received a JJWBGSP scholarship but did not graduate, are not eligible to reapply.

Please note that all eligibility criteria are strictly followed without exceptions, and they do not change during an open call for applications. However, this information is subject to potential changes between the closing and opening of application cycles.

Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program Prizes

The recipient of the JJ/WBGSP scholarship will enjoy the following benefits:

• Economy class air travel between their home country and the host university at the beginning and end of the scholarship period. A travel allowance of US $500 will also be provided for each trip.
• Tuition for the graduate program and basic medical insurance obtained through the university.
• A monthly subsistence allowance to cover living expenses, including accommodations, food, books, etc., during the scholarship period. The amount of the allowance will vary depending on the host country.
• It is important to note that all JJ/WBGSP scholarships cover the duration of the graduate program or two years, whichever is less.

However, there are certain expenses that the JJ/WBGSP scholarship does not cover, including:

• Costs associated with VISA application(s)
• Expenses for bringing or supporting family members of the scholar
• Extra-curricular courses or training
• Courses that do not meet the minimum credit requirements for the degree
• Language training not provided by the graduate program
• Additional travel during the study program
• Expenses related to research, supplementary educational materials, field trips, workshops/seminars, or internships
• Educational equipment such as computers
• Resident permit fees

Please keep in mind that the JJ/WBGSP scholarship may only supplement other sources of financial support or fellowships and should not duplicate them. If you become a semi-finalist or are awarded a scholarship, it is important to inform and provide documentation to the JJ/WBGSP regarding any other scholarship funds you may have.

List of Eligible Countries for Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program

To be eligible for a JJ/WBGSP Scholarship, the applicant must be a citizen of one or more of
the countries listed below:

1. Afghanistan
2. Algeria
3. Angola
4. Bangladesh
5. Benin
6. Bhutan
7. Bolivia
8. Burkina Faso
9. Burundi
10. Cambodia
11. Cameroon
12. Cape Verde
13. Central African Republic
14. Chad
15. Comoros
16. Congo, Dem. Rep.
17. Congo, Rep.
18. Côte d’Ivoire
19. Djibouti
20. Dominica
21. Egypt, Arab Rep.
22. Eritrea
23. Eswatini
24. Ethiopia
25. Fiji
26. The Gambia
27. Ghana
28. Grenada
29. Guinea
30. Guinea-Bissau
31. Guyana
32. Haiti
33. Honduras
34. India
35. Iran, Islamic Rep.
36. Iraq
37. Jordan
38. Kenya
39. Kiribati
40. Kosovo
41. Kyrgyz Republic
42. Lao PDR
43. Lebanon
44. Lesotho
45. Liberia
46. Libya
47. Madagascar
48. Malawi
49. Maldives
50. Mali
51. Marshall Islands
52. Mauritania
53. Micronesia, Fed. Sts.
54. Mongolia
55. Morocco
56. Mozambique
57. Myanmar
58. Nepal
59. Nicaragua
60. Niger
61. Nigeria
62. Pakistan
63. Papua New Guinea
64. Philippines
65. Rwanda
66. Samoa
67. São Tomé and Principe
68. Senegal
69. Sierra Leone
70. Solomon Islands
71. Somalia
72. South Sudan
73. Sri Lanka
74. St Lucia
75. St Vincent
76. Sudan
77. Syrian Arab Republic
78. Tajikistan
79. Tanzania
80. Timor-Leste
81. Togo
82. Tonga
83. Tunisia
84. Tuvalu
85. Uganda
86. Ukraine
87. Uzbekistan
88. Vanuatu
89. Venezuela
90. Vietnam
91. West Bank and Gaza
92. Yemen, Republic of
93. Zambia
94. Zimbabwe

How to Apply

An application will be accepted and reviewed if the applicant submits only one completed application electronically through the online application site by the Application Deadline: February 29, 2024 (for Window 1 programs only). An application is considered complete if it includes:

1. Two recommendation letters
2. One completed Application Form

Among other information, completing the Application Form includes uploading
scanned copies of:

(i) Documentation that proves the applicant meets the eligibility requirement with regard to the number of years of recent development-related work. (See FAQs for details regarding the extent and type of documentation required to be uploaded)

(ii) The applicant’s Bachelor’s degree diploma, and if applicable, also the diploma of the applicant’s most advanced graduate degree. (Do not include a transcript, or upload a transcript as a substitute for a diploma).

(iii) C.V. using the format provided in Annex 4 and written in English or the language of the master’s degree program for which the applicant is seeking JJWBGSP funding. If the work was not paid, do not include it in your CV. Instead, you can create a category “Volunteer Work” in your CV and list under that heading unpaid internships or other unpaid work.

(iv) Unconditional (except for financing) Letter of Admission for the upcoming academic year to the JJ/WBGSP participating master’s program:

• which is among those listed on the JJ/WBGSP website;
• for which the applicant is seeking JJWBGSP funding; and
• that is located outside of the applicant’s country of citizenship and
  country of residence.

(v) You can draft but DO NOT SUBMIT a JJ/WBGSP Scholarship Application UNTIL YOU UPLOAD AN UNCONDITIONAL LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE from a participating master’s degree program.

Interested candidates can learn more about this Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program HERE.

Selection Process

To evaluate eligible scholarship applications from developing country nationals, the JJ/WBGSP follows a specific process with the goal of identifying candidates who have the highest potential to make a significant impact on the development of their respective countries after completing their graduate studies.

Each application is independently reviewed by two qualified assessors who assess and score it on a scale of 1 to 10. The assessment takes into consideration four main factors and the level of coherence among them:

1. Quality of Professional Experience (30% weight)
2. Quality of Professional Recommendations (30% weight)
3. Quality of Commitment to the Home Country (30% weight)
4. Quality of Education Background (10% weight)

The average score given by the two assessors is used by the JJ/WBGSP Secretariat to select the finalists. In the selection process, the following criteria are taken into account:

1. Maintaining a reasonable distribution of awards across different geographic regions.
2. Ensuring a fair distribution of awards across genders.
3. Considering unusual circumstances or hardships faced by applicants when assessing their employment experience and other aspects.
4. Prioritizing applicants who have limited financial resources for graduate studies abroad, all other factors being equal.

The finalists for the Participating Program scholarship are then presented to the JJ/WBG Steering Committee, which comprises members of the World Bank Board of Directors and WB management. Final approval is obtained from the JJ/WBG Steering Committee, and the winners are notified shortly afterward.

Deadlines

Please take note that if you are not admitted to one of the 49 Participating Master’s Programs, you will not be eligible to apply for a JJWBGSP Scholarship in 2024.

To align with the academic calendars of JJWBGSP Participating Programs, the application process for 2024 will be organized into two rounds:

Application Window #1: From January 15 to February 29, 2024, at 12:00 noon EST JJWBGSP Participating Programs accepting applications under.

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