The ADB-Japan Scholarship Program offers ~130 fully funded graduate scholarships annually for citizens of ADB developing member countries, covering tuition, living allowance, health insurance, and travel. Here’s who qualifies and how to apply.

Overview

Since 1988, the Asian Development Bank–Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP) has funded graduate study for professionals from developing countries across Asia and the Pacific, and it remains one of the most comprehensive and consistently funded scholarship programmes available in the region.

With financing from the Government of Japan, the programme offers approximately 130 scholarships annually for Master’s-level study at 27 selected institutions across Asia and the Pacific, including 17 in Japan. It covers everything — tuition, living expenses, health insurance, and travel- and targets working professionals who will return home and apply what they’ve learned to their country’s development.

This post is particularly relevant for readers from eligible countries including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and 30+ other ADB developing member countries. If you meet the eligibility criteria, this is one of the most accessible fully funded Master’s pathways available in the Asia-Pacific region.

What Fields Can You Study?

The scholarship supports graduate study across four broad areas, each covering multiple disciplines:

Science and Technology: Agriculture, Biological Science, Computer Science, Energy, Engineering, Environment, Forestry, Genetics, Health

Economics, Business and Management: Accounting, Business Administration/Management, Commerce, E-Business, Entrepreneurship, Economics, Finance, International Cooperation, Social Sciences

Development Studies: Asia Pacific Studies, Development Management, Development Studies

Law and Public Policy: International Business Law, International Environmental Law, Policy Studies, Political Science, Public Administration, Public Policy

The breadth of eligible disciplines is significant. Whether your background is in engineering, public health, economics, environmental management, or public administration — there is likely a designated programme that fits.

What the Scholarship Covers

This is a comprehensive package. The monthly subsistence allowance covering housing removes the largest practical barrier to studying in Japan or other high-cost Asian cities — making the scholarship genuinely liveable, not just nominally funded.

Where Can You Study?

The programme places scholars at 27 designated institutions across Asia and the Pacific. These include:

• 17 institutions in Japan, including universities in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, and other major research centres
• 10 institutions across the Asia-Pacific region — covering countries including the Philippines, Thailand, India, and others

Specific designated institution lists and available programmes are confirmed with each institution directly. Contact your preferred partner institution early to understand which programmes are available and what their own admission requirements are.

Who Can Apply? (Eligibility)

All of the following must apply:

Citizenship: Be a national of an ADB borrowing member country and a Japanese ODA scholarship-eligible country; the full list of 40 eligible countries includes Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Mongolia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, and many others across South, Southeast, and Central Asia and the Pacific.

Dual citizenship: Must not hold dual citizenship of any developed country.

Degree: Hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent with a superior academic record.

Work experience: Have at least two years of full-time professional work experience acquired after your university degree at the time of application.

English proficiency: Must have proficiency in oral and written English sufficient to pursue graduate studies.

Age: Must be 35 years old or younger at the time of application (waivers possible in exceptional cases with express endorsement from the Government of Japan).

Admission: Must have gained admission to an approved Master’s course at one of the programme’s designated institutions.

Health: Must be in good health.

Return commitment: Must agree to return to your home country and work there for at least two years after completing your studies.

Ineligible if: You are an ADB Executive Director, Alternate Director, staff, consultant, or close relative thereof; a staff member of a designated institution; currently living or working outside your home country; or already enrolled in a graduate degree programme.

Eligible Countries

The programme is open to citizens of 40 ADB developing member countries including Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Niue, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, and Vietnam.

Note: African countries are not on the ADB-JSP eligible country list. This scholarship is specifically for Asia-Pacific development contexts. The post is targeted at readers from eligible regions.

How to Apply: Three Steps

The application process for ADB-JSP goes through the partner institution, not directly through ADB.

Step 1: Choose Your Institution and Programme

Identify which of the 27 designated institutions offers a Master’s programme aligned with your field and career goals. Contact the institution directly to request information and application forms. Different institutions have different application deadlines and requirements.

Step 2: Submit Your Application to the Institution

Complete and send all required application documents — including the ADB-Japan Scholarship Program information sheet — directly to your chosen partner institution. The institution conducts its own assessment and shortlisting of applicants.

Step 3: Final Selection by ADB

The partner institution forwards its shortlisted candidates to ADB. Final selection is made by ADB based on criteria applied by the Japanese Executive Director. You receive your evaluation results from the partner institution.

Practical Tips for Applicants

Contact institutions early. Application deadlines and processes vary significantly between the 27 designated institutions. Some have deadlines months before the academic year begins. Don’t wait until the last moment to request forms and information.

Secure admission first. You must already have been admitted to an eligible Master’s programme at a designated institution to be considered for the scholarship. Apply for admission and the scholarship together — but understand that admission is the prerequisite.

Work experience is non-negotiable. Two full years of post-degree professional experience is a firm requirement. Part-time and student work do not count. Be prepared to document your work history clearly.

Tailor your application to development relevance. The scholarship is explicitly focused on applying knowledge to your home country’s socioeconomic development. Your application should clearly articulate how your chosen programme connects to development challenges in your country and what you plan to do when you return.

Prepare for the return commitment. The two-year home country return requirement is binding. Your application should demonstrate not just what you want to study but what you plan to do with that education back home.

Why Japan? Why ADB Institutions?

Japan is home to some of the world’s most advanced research universities — particularly in engineering, environmental science, agriculture, and technology. The 17 Japanese institutions in this programme represent some of the best graduate study environments available in Asia.

Beyond academics: a Master’s degree from a Japanese or major Asia-Pacific university, obtained through a prestigious ADB-funded scholarship, carries significant weight with employers, governments, and international organisations across the development sector.

The ADB network itself — the Asian Development Bank is one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world — gives JSP scholars connections to development economists, policy professionals, and institutional leaders across 40+ member countries.

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