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Asian Development Bank-Japan Scholarship Program
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The Asian Development Bank - Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP) provides support for Master's degree study in ADB-JSP approved fields of study at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM), and for participation in the educational, residential, and leadership development programs at the East-West Center (EWC).

 The ADB–JSP scholarship was established in April 1988 with financing from the Government of Japan to strengthen human resource capacity in Asian Development Bank developing member countries. It aims to provide an opportunity for well-qualified citizens of ADB's developing member countries to undertake graduate studies in economics, management, science and technology, and other development-related fields at participating academic institutions in the Asian and Pacific Region. After completing their studies, scholars are expected to return to their home countries to apply and share their new knowledge and skills to promote socioeconomic development.

The East-West Center accepts applications for the ADB-JSP Scholarship every other year.  The next application cycle will be open August-December 2024 for the Fall 2025 Academic year.

To make certain you are eligible to apply for the ADB-JSP Scholarship please carefully read the Basic Eligibility Requirements and Areas of Study Funded sections below. 

ADB-JSP Basic Eligibility Requirements

The basic eligibility requirements for the ADB-JSP scholarship at the East-West Center are as follows. Applicants must:

  • Be a citizen and current resident of a developing member country of the Asian Development Bank and not more than 35 years old at the time of application.
  • Have a 4-year bachelor's degree or the equivalent of a 4-year Bachelor's degree, at the time of application. (An equivalent could be a 3-year Bachelor's degree plus a 1-year Master's degree, or a 2-year bachelor's degree plus a 2-year Master's degree. This is subject to review.)
  • Have at least 2 years of full-time professional work experience after a university degree at the time of application.
  • Take one of the English proficiency tests; the minimum acceptable scores are 550 for the paper-based TOEFL; 213 for the computer-based TOEFL; and 79-80 for the internet-based TOEFL iBT; or 6.5 for the IELTS. Results must be taken from a test within the past two years.

Applicants with the following experience are not eligible for the ADB-JSP Scholarship:

  • Applicants living or working in a country other than his/her home country are not eligible to apply.
  • Applicants who have previously studied abroad (in a country outside of ADB-developing member countries), or who are seeking a second master's degree are not eligible to apply.

To confirm your eligibility for the ADB-JSP Scholarship, please read carefully all of the ADB-JSP requirements and criteria for selection and Strategy 2030 on the ADB website at www.adb.org/JSP.

The following are eligible Master's degree programs that are funded by ADB-JSP at the East-West Center. Standardized examinations that are required of applicants are listed next to each program along with the requesting institution in parentheses.

  • Business Administration (Global MBA):  TOEFL or IELTS (EWC and UHM); GMAT (UHM only)
  • Economics (MA):  TOEFL or IELTS (EWC and UHM); GRE (UHM only)
  • Geography (MA):  TOEFL or IELTS (EWC and UHM); GRE (UHM only)
  • Natural Resources and Environmental Management (MS):  TOEFL or IELTS (EWC and UHM); GRE (UHM only)
  • Ocean and Resources Engineering (MS):  TOEFL or IELTS (EWC and UHM); GRE (UHM only)
  • Oceanography (MS):  TOEFL or IELTS (EWC and UHM); GRE (UHM only)
  • Pacific Islands Studies (MA):  TOEFL or IELTS (EWC and UHM)
  • Public Administration (MPA):  TOEFL or IELTS (EWC and UHM)
  • Sociology (MA):  TOEFL or IELTS (EWC and UHM); GRE (UHM only)
  • Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences (MS):  TOEFL or IELTS (EWC and UHM); GRE (UHM only)
  • Urban and Regional Planning (MURP):  TOEFL or IELTS (EWC and UHM)

See the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa website for details on the Master's degree programs listed above including each program's application process. 

The ADB-JSP scholarship provides the following support for Master's degree study at the University of Hawaii at Manoa:

  • Full tuition and fees,
  • Roundtrip travel to Honolulu from the applicant's home country,
  • Housing in East-West Center residence facilities,
  • Monthly stipend,
  • Funds for textbooks,
  • Health insurance,
  • U.S. visa sponsorship (J-1 Exchange Visitor).

Applying to a Master's Degree Program at the University of Hawai‘i

In addition to submitting an ADB-JSP scholarship application to the East-West Center, a separate application (including all required supporting documents) must be submitted to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa for admission into a Master's degree program.

Information on applying for most eligible Master's programs listed above can be found at the UHM Graduate Division website:  https://manoa.hawaii.edu/graduate/graduate-programs/. However, do not use this website for the field of Business. If you are seeking admission to a Master's program in this area of study, use the Global MBA Business Program. Application forms for this field must be obtained from the respective program. 

Contact Information

East-West Center
Registrar's Office/ADB-JSP
1601 East-West Road
John A. Burns Hall, Room 2066
Honolulu, Hawaii 96848-1601 USA

Email:  [email protected]
Telephone:  +1-808-944-7738

2019 ADB-JSP scholarship recipients.