Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program 2026

Scholarships for 44 Participating Master’s Programs in 24 universities in the U.S., Europe, Africa, Oceania, and Japan in key areas of development, including economic policy management, tax policy, and infrastructure management.

Eligibility Requirements

Be a national of a World Bank member developing country: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic. Rep Congo, Rep.; Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Arab Rep., Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, India, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Micronesia, Fed. Sts., Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua; Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, West Bank and Gaza, Yemen, Republic of Zimbabwe, Zambia

• Not hold dual citizenship of any developed country;

• Be in good health;

• Hold a bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree earned at least 3 years before 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 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.

Benefits

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 that 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;

• The graduate program does not provide language training.

• 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

Note: The JJ/WBGSP scholarship may only supplement, and does not duplicate, any other source of financial support/fellowship you might have. If you were awarded another scholarship or fellowship, you must send the documents about this other scholarship/fellowship to the JJ/WBGSP Secretariat.