Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarship 2027: Fully Funded Master’s Abroad

Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) pays for a full master’s degree abroad for professionals from developing countries, and India is on the list of eligible countries for the 2027 cycle. The scholarship is financed by the Government of Japan and administered by the World Bank, so unlike a normal university scholarship the money comes with one hard condition: you must already be admitted to one of the programme’s approved master’s courses before you apply.

The fund has announced two application windows for 2027. Window 1 programmes close on 26 February 2027 and Window 2 programmes close on 21 May 2027. You apply to whichever window lists your target programme, and only one application and one programme are allowed, so the choice of university is the first important decision you make.

Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarship 2027

What the JJ/WBGSP scholarship pays for

The award is designed to cover a full master’s degree outside your home country, so it is one of the few scholarships that pays tuition, living costs and international travel together. The World Bank lists the benefits as:

• Economy class air travel between your home country and the host university at the start of the study programme and again immediately after the scholarship period ends.
• A travel allowance of US$600 for each of those two trips.
• Tuition for your graduate programme and the cost of basic medical insurance taken through the university.
• A monthly subsistence allowance to cover accommodation, food, books and other living expenses while you are on campus. The World Bank states that the amount of the allowance varies by host country.

The scholarship runs for the length of the master’s programme or two years, whichever is shorter. The World Bank also lists what the award does not cover: visa application costs, any expenses for your family members, extra-curricular courses that are not part of the degree, courses that do not carry the minimum credits for the degree, language training not provided by the programme, extra travel during the course of study and computers or other equipment.

Which universities take part in the 2027 cycle

You cannot use the JJ/WBGSP at any university you like. The World Bank publishes a list of Participating Programs, and for the 2027 applications that list has 23 universities. Some of the names Indian applicants usually recognise are:

• London School of Economics and Political Science – MSc Development Management, MSc Development Studies, MSc Global Health Policy, MSc International Social and Public Policy.
• University of Oxford – Master of Public Policy (Blavatnik School of Government), MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies, MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine.
• Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs – MPA in Development Practice, MPA in Economic Policy Management, Master of Public Administration.
• Stanford University – Master in International Policy.
• University of California, Berkeley (Goldman School of Public Policy) – Master of Development Practice.
• Yale University School of Management – Master’s Degree in Systemic Risk.
• Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health – Master of Public Health.
• Australian National University (Crawford School of Public Policy) – Master of Public Policy, Master of Climate Change.
• University of Tokyo – Master of Public Policy (GraSPP); University of Tsukuba – Master’s Program in Economic and Public Policy; Keio University – Master in Taxation Policy and Management.

The participating universities are grouped under Window 1 and Window 2, and each window has its own deadline. The full 2027 list, including every approved course and the window it belongs to, is published on the World Bank website and is linked at the end of this page.

JJ/WBGSP eligibility for Indian applicants

The 2027 application guidelines set out the eligibility rules exactly, and the World Bank states that no exceptions are made. An applicant must:

• Be a national of a World Bank member country on the JJ/WBGSP eligible-country list. India is listed for the 2027 scholarship.
• Not hold dual citizenship of any developed country.
• Hold a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent university degree) earned at least three years before the application deadline.
• Be employed in development-related work in a paid full-time position at the time of applying, and have at least three years of paid development-related employment since earning the bachelor’s degree, acquired within the past six years.
• Have been admitted unconditionally, except for funding, to at least one JJ/WBGSP Participating Program for the coming academic year. The programme must be located outside both the applicant’s country of citizenship and country of residence.
• Not be currently studying in a JJ/WBGSP Participating Program.
• Not be an Executive Director, alternate, staff member or consultant of the World Bank Group, or a close relative of one.

Two additional points decide many applications. First, the work experience has to be paid development-related employment, so volunteering or an unpaid internship does not count towards the three years. Second, you must hold a valid admission letter for a participating master’s programme before the deadline, so the university application has to be finished months earlier than the scholarship form.

How to apply for the Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarship

1. Check the participating programmes for 2027 and pick the master’s course you want. Note the window (Window 1 or Window 2) under which that course is listed, because it decides your deadline.
2. Apply to that university for admission well in advance of the scholarship deadline. The World Bank needs an unconditional admission letter, so plan for the university’s own admission rounds.
3. Register on the JJ/WBGSP online application portal and complete the application form. It can be written in English or in the language of the master’s programme.
4. Arrange two recommendation letters from people who have direct knowledge of your professional work. They have to be submitted online by the recommenders themselves before the deadline.
5. Upload the documents the guidelines ask for: proof of your years of development-related work, your bachelor’s degree diploma and, where applicable, your most advanced graduate degree diploma, and a CV in the format given in the guidelines.
6. Submit before the window deadline. Only one application is allowed, and applying to a programme that is not listed under that window leads to disqualification.

Important dates for the JJ/WBGSP 2027 cycle

Window 1 application deadline	26 February 2027 (for programmes listed under Window 1)
Window 2 application deadline	21 May 2027 at 12:00 noon EST (for programmes listed under Window 2)
Admission letter needed by	On or before the scholarship application deadline
Recommendation letters	Two, submitted online by the recommenders before the deadline
Award duration	The length of the master’s programme or two years, whichever is less

How the selection works

Completed applications go through a multi-step screening at the World Bank. The programme checks the eligibility rules first, then reviews the professional record, academic record and the relevance of the chosen master’s programme to development work. Shortlisted candidates are asked for extra documents such as a passport copy, and later a medical certificate less than three months old has to be submitted before travel. Final awards are approved by the JJ/WBGSP Steering Committee, which is made up of World Bank Board members and management. Scholars are expected to return to their home country after the degree and use the new skills there.

Frequently asked questions about the Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarship

Official links for the Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarship

• JJ/WBGSP – programme overview, eligibility and scholarship benefits (World Bank)
• JJ/WBGSP eligible countries for 2027 – India is listed
• JJ/WBGSP participating programmes for 2027 – all 23 universities and approved master’s courses
• 2027 application guidelines – Window 1 (PDF)
• 2027 application guidelines – Window 2 (PDF)
• 2027 FAQs for developing country nationals (PDF)

Related reading: Study abroad scholarships
Post graduation scholarships
International scholarships
Fellowships

Related scholarship posts

• Gates Cambridge Scholarship – fully funded master’s and PhD study at Cambridge
• Chevening Scholarship – fully funded one-year master’s in the UK
• Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme – research funding for PhD study in Hong Kong