ADB–Japan Scholarship Program 2027: Benefits, Eligibility, Deadlines
The ADB–Japan Scholarship Program funds master's degrees for developing Asia's professionals: full tuition, monthly subsistence, housing, travel and insurance at designated universities. GRIPS closes
The ADB–Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP) funds postgraduate study for nationals of the Asian Development Bank's developing member countries — Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal and more — at around twenty designated universities across Asia and the Pacific. It is one of the few scholarships built specifically for the region's professionals: full tuition plus a monthly subsistence allowance, housing support, travel and medical insurance, with about 300 new scholars each year.
What the scholarship covers
| Component | Coverage (per ADB-JSP schedule) |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | Full, paid directly to the university |
| Monthly subsistence | Allowance for living costs during the programme |
| Housing | Monthly housing allowance or university accommodation support |
| Books and materials | Allowance for books and teaching materials |
| Travel | Economy travel between home country and study destination |
| Medical insurance | Coverage for the scholarship period |
Awards are for one–two years of master's study; a few designated institutions offer doctoral places under the same scheme. The exact monthly amounts follow the ADB-JSP schedule administered by each university — the university's scholarship office is the authoritative source for current figures.
Who is eligible
- National of an ADB developing member country (the list covers most of South and Southeast Asia, the Pacific and parts of Central Asia) and not a dual citizen of a developed country.
- Bachelor's degree or its equivalent, earned no more than… in practice: a strong academic record with admission to a participating programme.
- At least two years of work experience — this is the defining requirement; ADB-JSP targets professionals, not fresh graduates.
- Age typically under 35 at intake (some institutions have flexibility — confirm with the university).
- Return-home commitment: scholars are expected to return to their home country after the programme.
- English proficiency per the host university's requirements (IELTS/TOEFL for most).
How to apply (the two-step that trips people up)
- Apply for admission to a participating programme — the scholarship application is made through the university, not to ADB directly.
- Submit the ADB-JSP application to the university's scholarship office together with your admission file, before the university's JSP deadline.
Deadlines are university-specific: among current listings, for example, GRIPS (Tokyo) closes around 20 November 2026 and AIT (Bangkok) around 31 March 2027 — always confirm on the institution's page.
View as table
| Label | Value (example deadlines) |
|---|---|
| GRIPS (Tokyo) — 20 Nov 2026 | 324 example deadlines |
| AIT (Bangkok) — 31 Mar 2027 | 90 example deadlines |
| Typical lead time to prepare (days) | 60 example deadlines |
Participating universities (examples with live or recurring intakes)
| University | Country | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Keio University | Japan | Economics, business, media & governance (a designated JSP partner) |
| GRIPS — National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies | Japan | Public policy, economics (deadline ~20 Nov 2026) |
| Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) | Thailand | Engineering, environment, management (deadline ~31 Mar 2027) |
| University of Hong Kong / other designated partners | Hong Kong / region-wide | Varies by partnership year — check the official list |
The full designated list changes occasionally; the ADB site publishes the current partner table, and applications only count at designated institutions.
What ADB-JSP is really looking for
- Development relevance: your field and career should connect to your country's development needs — energy, infrastructure, public health, education, climate, governance.
- Work experience with evidence: promotions, projects delivered, policy work — quantify results in your CV (our academic CV guide adapts well).
- A coherent study plan: why this programme, why now, and what changes at home when you return — structure it with our personal statement examples.
ADB-JSP compared with neighbouring schemes
| Scheme | Level | Work experience | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADB-JSP | Master's (some PhD) | Required (2+ years) | Designated Asia-Pacific universities |
| JICA scholarships | Varies | Usually required | Japan, thematic programmes |
| GKS (Korea) | Bachelor's–PhD | Not required | Korean universities |
| MEXT (Japan) | Bachelor's–PhD | Not required | Japanese universities |
| Commonwealth (UK) | Master's/PhD | Not required | UK universities |
Questions applicants often ask
Can Pakistanis apply? Yes — Pakistan is an ADB developing member country and Pakistani professionals are a core ADB-JSP constituency; see our scholarships for Pakistani students guide for the full slate.
Is IELTS mandatory? Usually yes via the host university's requirement; some accept alternative evidence — see IELTS alternatives.
Can I stay in Japan after graduating? The scholarship expects you to return home; separate work-visa routes exist but are outside ADB-JSP.
Field-by-field: where the scholarships actually go
ADB-JSP is a development bank's scholarship — fields map to development priorities. Historically strong fits include:
| Field | Relevance signal |
|---|---|
| Economics & public policy | Core ADB mandate — the largest share of scholars |
| Infrastructure & transport engineering | Directly tied to ADB lending operations |
| Energy & climate | Green transition portfolios across member countries |
| Public health & health economics | Post-pandemic priority |
| Environment & water management | Climate adaptation projects |
| Education & governance | Smaller but steady allocations |
Pure science or humanities profiles with no development connection struggle; if that is you, GKS or MEXT (above) are better targets.
Writing the development statement
- Start from a problem in your country — power shortages, flood adaptation, primary healthcare access — that you have personally touched through work.
- Name the gap: the specific skill or method (policy evaluation, grid modelling, health financing) the target programme teaches.
- Close the loop: the institution/role you return to, with realistic timing.
Reviewers are development professionals, not academics — clarity beats jargon. Our motivation letter structure gives you the paragraph skeleton.
Official sources and further reading
NextApply Research Team
Scholarship Verification & Data Team
Researchers who track university funding pages and official funding sources daily. Every listing links back to the source it came from, passes automated data checks, and is refreshed several times a day by an automated pipeline.
Learn more about usSimilar opportunities
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Asian Development Bank (ADB) is offering a master's / PhD opportunity centred on ADB–Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP) for Asian Development Bank Member Countries. This is a fully funded opportunity; financial support is listed as Monthly stipend per programme rules — see official listing. Timing: University-specific (e.g. GRIPS 20 Nov 2026; AIT 31 Mar 2027) – see host university.
Keio University
A master's opportunity at Keio University focused on ADB Scholarship for Graduate Programs (Japan) is currently listed. This is a fully funded opportunity; financial support is listed as Full tuition + monthly subsistence and housing allowance per ADB-JSP schedule. The application window is described as: Closes months before intake.
Government of Japan
Government of Japan is offering a PhD / master's opportunity centred on Scholarship: MEXT Scholarship (University Recommendation) - Japan. According to the listing, this is a fully funded opportunity; financial support is listed as 144,000 yen/month (Master's) / 145,000 yen/month (Doctoral). Timing: Rolling (Varies by University).