2024 Asian Development Bank(ADB) -Japan Scholarship Program

Asian Development Bank (ADB) -Japan Scholarship Program granted to designated institutions

Eligibility Requirements:

ADB-JSP scholarships are granted to designated institutions (DIs) in the Asia-Pacific region for studies in economics, business and management, science and technology, and other development-related fields.

• Must be a national of an ADB borrowing member country (applicants from countries that no longer borrow from are ineligible for the Asian Development -JSP Scholarship).
• Must hold a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent with an outstanding academic record.
• Must have at least two (2) years of full-time professional working experience (obtained after obtaining a university degree) at the time of application.
• Must possess proficiency in oral and written English communication skills to pursue studies effectively.
• Must be no older than 35 years of age at the time of application. In exceptional cases, where programs are suitable for senior officials and managers, the age limit is extended to 45 years.
• Must be in good health.
• Must commit to returning to their home country upon completion of studies under the Program.
• Individuals serving as Executive Directors, Alternate Directors, management and staff of ADB, as well as consultants and relatives of the aforementioned, are ineligible for the Scholarship.
• Staff of AIT are also ineligible for the Scholarship.
• Applicants residing or working in a country other than their home country are not eligible for the scholarships.
• ADB-JSP does not provide support to applicants already enrolled in graduate degree programs.
• Asian Development -JSP does not sponsor undergraduate studies, distance learning programs, short-term training, conferences, seminars, thesis writing, or research projects.B. Selection Criteria
• Priority will be given to the ranking proposed by AIT.
• Applicants with less than two years of work experience will not be selected.
• Preference will be given to female candidates.
• Preference will be given to applicants with lower financial capacity. Family income should not exceed USD 50,000 per year, and individual income should not exceed USD 25,000 per year.
• The Program will generally not support applicants who have previously studied abroad.
• The Program will generally not support applicants who are pursuing a second MA.
• Candidates applying to a Designated Institute (DI) in their own country may not be selected.
• Nationality diversification in the overall Program and at each DI level will be taken into consideration.
• The Program encourages studies aligned with ADB’s Strategy 2020, focusing on poverty reduction through infrastructure, environment, regional cooperation and integration, finance sector development, and education. Strategy 2020 outlines ADB’s strategic direction for operations until 2020.

The following documents are necessary:

• A copy of the Degree Certificate and Transcript from a four-year undergraduate degree program.
• Proof of English proficiency as required by the AIT Language Center (IELTS-Academic: 6 (writing and overall) or AIT EET ≥ 6.0, TOEFL ≥ 550).
• Work certificate provided by the employer.
• Income statement. If married, please provide the spouse’s income statement; otherwise, submit the parent’s income statement.
• ADB-JSP Information sheet.

Application Procedures:

1. Applicants should obtain information and application forms from the chosen DI (e.g., AIT). They are encouraged to utilize various resources, including the DI’s website, handbooks, and DI information sessions held in-country, to assist in making an informed decision on the DI and course they wish to undertake.
2. Applicants should notify AIT that they are applying for admission and would like to be considered for the ADB-JSP Scholarship. The completed DI application form and required documentation, including the ADB-JSP Information Sheet form, should be submitted to AIT. Applicants must ensure accurate and complete documentation submission. Failure to do so may lead to the application not being processed or termination of an award if documentation or information provided is later found to be false. Applicants are required to submit their latest Income Tax Return or Certification of their Annual Salary/Monthly Salary, whichever is available. They should also submit a Certification of Family Income (Parent’s Income/Spouse if married).
3. AIT will screen and rank the applicants based on its own selection criteria, considering the eligibility requirements and selection criteria of the ADB. During the evaluation process, AIT may contact candidates for further information. AIT will then submit its ranked list of applicants to ADB, including a description of the score/grading system which forms the basis for the ranking.
4. ADB will review the submission from AIT and recommend awardees based on the ADB’s selection criteria to the Executive Director of Japan for formal approval.
5. Upon approval by the Executive Director of Japan, ADB will notify AIT of the successful candidates.
6. AIT will inform all applicants of the selection process outcome and initiate arrangements for the awardees to take up their scholarships.
7. AIT will arrange for the awardees to sign the Acceptance of Scholarship Award, agreeing that after completing their studies, they will return to their home country.
8. ADB will send an appropriate congratulatory letter to each scholar.

Coverage includes:

1. Tuition fees (actual costs).
2. Housing (based on the actual cost of dormitory housing or a reasonable allowance for appropriate off-campus housing, to be agreed upon between each DI and ADB).
3. Subsistence Allowance including housing allowance (a flat allowance to be agreed upon between each DI and ADB).
4. Student Medical and accident insurance (flat allowance).
5. Books (a flat allowance to be agreed upon between each DI and ADB).
6. Economy class air travel at the most direct route to and from the DI and the awardee’s home country (actual costs).
7. Miscellaneous expenses related to travel such as visa fees, airport taxes, luggage allowance, etc. (a flat allowance).
8. Excess luggage up to 20 kgs may be financed during return travel to the home country (actual costs).
9. Thesis/Research Allowance is intended to cover the scholar’s research expenditures and can be used for such expenditure items as photocopying, school supplies, typing and computer charges, postage, communications, binding charges, local travel costs and accommodation for out-of-town trips. (a flat allowance)
10. Scholars are expected to have sufficient skills in language and computer to undertake their study program. However, in special cases where additional training is deemed necessary, expenditures incurred to improve language proficiency and computer literacy may be covered under the scholarship (actual costs).
11. The ADB-JSP does not cover expenses for the scholar’s family; extra-curricular courses or training; additional travel during the course of the study program; additional expenses related to supplementary educational materials, field trips, or participation in workshops, seminars, or internships while at the DI or the purchase of educational equipment such as computers.

Policies and Procedures:

1. The ADB-JSP Scholarship is for the scholar only and does not cover expenses for the scholar’s dependents.
2. DIs are encouraged to provide tuition fee discounts to outstanding scholars, as agreed with ADB.
3. Preparatory/bridging courses, such as English proficiency or computer literacy courses, can be funded by ADB-JSP. These courses should be undertaken within AIT.
4. Expenses relating to activities not directly related to the pursuit of the degree, such as attendance at a conference and other similar activities, are not financed under the ADB-JSP.
5. Subsistence allowances are normally given to the scholars at the beginning of each month. However, AIT may disburse allowances according to their practice.
6. For expenses related to air travel, AIT should provide ADB with a copy of the scholars’ air tickets from their home countries to AIT. Return travel is paid upon successful completion of studies.
7. An establishment allowance may be provided to new scholars to help with the initial costs of setting up their temporary home at AIT. This is paid only once at the start of the scholarship (a flat allowance).
8. The ADB-JSP scholarship only supplements, and does not duplicate, any other source of financial support/fellowship the scholar might have. Scholars must inform the ADB-JSP if they have other sources of scholarship funds. The ADB-JSP stipend may be withdrawn completely or partially if, during the scholarship period, the program has evidence of additional sources of support.For more details on ADB-JSP please visit this LINK
   Guidelines for Scholarship Awards

Duration and Eligibility:

Scholarships are granted for one to two years at designated institutions (DIs) in the Asia-Pacific region. Eligible fields include economics, business, management, science, technology, and other development-related areas. The maximum duration is two years for MA, MS, and MBA programs.

Renewal of Scholarships:

1. Initially, scholarships are for one year, with a potential extension to a second year based on the scholar’s academic performance evaluated by AIT.
2. Extensions beyond two years are generally not permitted.
3. Scholarships may be paused for up to twelve months or two semesters for valid reasons such as health or family issues.
4. ADB sets the yearly total of scholarship awards. New scholars are chosen based on AIT’s recommendation when current scholars finish or withdraw.

Deferment of Awards:

1. AIT may grant deferments for up to six months or one semester, upon ADB’s discretion. Deferrals are approved for valid reasons like pregnancy, unresolved family matters, or visa issues. If the offer isn’t taken within a year, reapplication is necessary.

Replacement of Dropouts:

 

Scholars who drop out cannot be replaced during the academic year.

Transfer of Scholarships:

1. Transferring to another course or institution is not permitted.

Special Conditions:

1. Recipients commit to returning to and working in their home countries for at least two years post-study.
2. They agree to ADB-JSP’s employment restriction policy, forbidding work at ADB for two years after completing academic programs.

Termination of Scholarships:

AIT may recommend termination for inadequate academic progress, non-compliance with host country laws (Thailand), misconduct, or breaches of ADB-JSP conditions or student visa regulations.
Deadline for Fall semester (August 2024 intake): 31 March 2024

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