The World Bank’s Development Economics Vice Presidency (DEC) provides scholarships to students and young researchers, contributing to the World Bank’s mission of forging new dynamic approaches to capacity development and knowledge sharing in the developing world.
It is an important component of the World Bank’s efforts to promote economic development and shared prosperity through investing in education, capacity building, and developing human resources in the developing world.
Since 1982, the DEC’s scholarship programs have helped to form a pool of over 6,000 well-trained and experienced development professionals and scholars, transforming their countries and positively impacting future generations.
Active Programs
Inactive Program
Japan Indonesia Presidential Scholarship Program (JIPS): This Program is no longer accepting applications. With a one-time $10 million grant from the Government of Japan, this scholarship supported three cohorts (2008–2010) of 43 Indonesian PhD students to study abroad under the sponsorship of one of the program’s ten partner Indonesian universities. This window is now closed to new applicants.
The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) is open to citizens of certain 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.
Subject to available funding, JJWBGSP offers scholarships for 26 Participating Programs at universities in U.S., Europe, Africa, Oceania and Japan in key areas of development, including economic policy management, tax policy, and infrastructure management. Please note that if you are not admitted to one of these 26 programs, you are not eligible to apply for a JJWBGSP Scholarship in 2022.
To accommodate the academic calendar of the JJWBGSP Participating Programs, the next application process will be organized in two rounds:
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. View a detailed list of benefits.
Who is Eligible to Apply?
How to Apply
Selection Process
Scholarship Benefits
Details on Eligibility Criteria for each call for applications are provided in that call’s Application Guidelines, and these detailed eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made.
Broadly speaking, Developing Country nationals must:
Please 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.
Read Application Guidelines | FAQs.
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:
The JJ/WBGSP Secretariat uses the average score of the two assessors and the following criteria to select the finalists:
The JJWBGSP Secretariat presents the finalists for the Participating Program scholarship to the JJ/WBG Steering Committee (composed of members of the World Bank Board of Directors and WB management) for approval. Winners are notified soon after the JJWBG Steering Committee approval.
The JJ/WBGSP scholarship provides the recipient with the following benefits:
Please 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:
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.
The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) provides scholarships for up to two-years to a limited number of Japanese mid-career professionals who are dedicated to the alleviation of poverty and enhanced shared prosperity in developing countries, and who have been admitted to or are currently enrolled in a master’s or PhD graduate degree program outside of Japan and in development-related fields.
After earning their degree, Japanese national scholars are expected to advance their professional career with a keen focus on the alleviation of poverty and enhanced shared prosperity in developing countries.
The next application window for Japanese nationals will open from January 31st to April 8th, 2022 at noon Washington time.
Who is Eligible to Apply?
How to Apply
Selection Process
Scholarship Benefits
The 2021 call for applications is now CLOSED. Successful applicants will be notified in late June.
The JJ/WBGSP uses the following process to review eligible scholarship applications from Japan nationals, with the aim of identifying the candidates with the highest potential, after completion of their graduate studies, to impact international development.
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:
The JJ/WBGSP Secretariat uses the average score of the two assessors and the following criteria to select the finalists:
The JJWBGSP Secretariat presents the finalists to the JJ/WBG Steering Committee (composed of members of the World Bank Board of Directors and WB management) for approval. Winners are informed by mid-July, after the JJWBG Steering Committee approval.
The scholarship is fully funded by the Government of Japan, and provides for each scholarship recipient the following benefits during the scholarship period:
Please 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:
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.
"The learning environment with colleagues from over forty countries is the most gratifying aspect in my study abroad"
