Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) — weiterhin aktiv an anderen Universitäten (LSE, SOAS, Oxford u.a.)

What the scholarship covers

You get a full master's scholarship to study a development-related subject abroad. Your tuition is paid in full. You also get a monthly living allowance, whose size depends on the country you study in. On top of that, you get economy-class return flights between your home country and your university, a travel top-up of about EUR 550 (USD 600) per trip, and basic health insurance through the university. Funding runs for the length of your master's, or a maximum of two years, whichever is shorter. The Japanese government pays for the programme, and the World Bank manages it. You can study at one of around 44 programmes at 23 partner universities, including LSE, SOAS, Oxford, Columbia, Stanford, Yale and institutions in Japan, the Netherlands and Australia. Fields include economic and tax policy, public health, environment and climate, education, water, governance and agriculture.

Who can apply

• Nationality: You are a citizen of a developing country that is a World Bank member (over 75 countries, listed by the programme). You must not also be a citizen of a developed country.
• Degree: You already hold a bachelor's degree, earned at least three years before the application deadline.
• Work experience: You have a paid, full-time job in development-related work right now. You also have at least three years of such paid experience, gained in the last six years.
• University place: By the deadline you hold an unconditional admission (funding aside) to at least one partner programme, outside your home and residence country.
• Field of study: Your master's is one of the listed development-related programmes at a partner university.
• Return home: You commit to going back to your home country after you finish.
• Not eligible: World Bank staff and their close relatives, people already enrolled in a master's, and past scholarship holders who dropped out or turned down an offer.

How to apply

First apply directly to a partner university and secure an unconditional admission. The university shortlists suitable candidates and sends them the scholarship application link. You then submit one online application to the World Bank, with two reference letters from people who know your paid work. For the 2027 cycle, the first window runs from 18 January to 26 February 2027, and the second from 29 March to 21 May 2027.

How realistic are your chances?

The award is generous and open to citizens of many countries, so it draws a large international field. What narrows it is the strict profile: three years of paid development work, a job you hold right now, and an admission letter already in hand before you apply. If you clearly fit that mid-career professional profile and can show strong, relevant work experience, your prospects are realistic. Selection weights work experience and references heavily, not grades alone.