Applications Open for 2020 Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program
Deadline: 23 April 2020
The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) is open to women and men from developing countries with relevant professional experience and a history of supporting their countries’ development efforts who are applying to a master degree program in a development-related topic.
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Subject to available funding, JJWBGSP offers scholarships for 30 Preferred Programs spanning a wide array of development topics and for 10 Partner Programs at universities in U.S., Europe and Japan in key areas of development, including economic policy management, tax policy, and infrastructure management.
Note: The partner and preferred programs have been modified for 2020. If you are not admitted to one of these programs you are not eligible to apply for a JJWBGSP Scholarship in 2020.
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After earning their degree, developing country scholars commit to return to their home country to use their new skills and contribute to their countries’ social and economic development.
A JJWBGSP scholarship provides tuition, a monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare, health insurance, and travel allowance.
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Scholarship Benefits
The JJ/WBGSP scholarship provides the recipient with the following benefits:
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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 $500 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.
Note: All JJ/WBGSP scholarships cover the duration of the graduate program or two years, whichever is less.
The JJ/WBGSP scholarship does not cover:
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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;
Language training not provided by the graduate program;
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 are notified to be a semi-finalist or if you are awarded a scholarship, you must inform and document to the JJ/WBGSP at that time if you have other sources of scholarship funds.
Eligibility Criteria
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Be a national of a World Bank member developing country;
Not hold dual citizenship of any developed country;
Be in good health;
Hold a Bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree earned at least 3 years prior to the Application Deadline date;
Have 3 years or more of recent development-related work experience after earning a Bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree;
Be employed in development-related work in a paid full- time position at the time of submitting the scholarship application. The only exception to this criterion is for developing country nationals from a country that will be on the updated list of Fragile and Conflict States provided to applicants in the Application Guidelines for each call for scholarships.
Not be an Executive Director, his/her alternate, and/or staff of any type of 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.
Note: All eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made. Eligibility criteria WILL NOT change during an open call for applications. However, this information is subject to change between the close of one application process and the opening of the next.
Selection Process
The JJ/WBGSP uses the following process to review eligible scholarship applications from developing country nationals, with the aim of identifying the candidates with the highest potential, after completion of their graduate studies, to impact the development of their countries.
Two qualified assessors independently review each eligible application and score the application on a scale of 1 to 10, taking into account four main factors and the degree of cohesion among them:
Quality of Professional Experience (30% weight)
Quality of Professional Recommendations (30% weight)
Quality of Commitment to your Home Country (30% weight)
Quality of Education Background (10% weight)
The JJ/WBGSP Secretariat uses the average score of the two assessors and the following criteria to select the finalists:
Maintaining a reasonably wide geographical distribution of awards
Maintaining a reasonable distribution of awards across gender
Unusual circumstances/hardships, when assessing the employment experience and other aspects of an application;
Giving scholarships to those applicants who, other things being equal, have limited access to financial resources for graduate studies abroad.
The JJWBGSP Secretariat presents the finalists for the preferred program scholarship to the JJ/WBG Steering Committee (composed of members of the World Bank Board of Directors and WB management) for approval. The finalists for partnership scholarship are presented for approval on a rolling basis throughout the year, matching the JJWBGSP Partner university’s admission cycle. In all cases, winners are notified soon after the JJWBG Steering Committee approval.
For more information, visit https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/scholarships#3