WWorld Bank (Development Economics Vice Presidency), funded by the Government of Japan
Fully funded
Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) – UK Participating Programmes
World Bank (Development Economics Vice Presidency), funded by the Government of Japan, United Kingdom
Scholarship overview
The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) funds mid-career development professionals from developing countries to take a master's degree in a development-related field. It is run by the World Bank's Development Economics Vice Presidency and funded entirely by the Government of Japan. Since 1987 it has supported more than 7,000 professionals from 160 developing countries and Japan.
Scholarships are only available for a fixed list of participating master's programmes: 44 programmes at 24 universities in the U.S., Europe, Africa, Oceania and Japan for the 2027 cycle. Four of these universities are in the United Kingdom, and all UK programmes fall under Application Window 2.
UK participating programmes (2027)
- London School of Economics and Political Science: MSc Development Management; MSc Development Studies; MSc Global Health Policy; MSc International Social and Public Policy
- SOAS University of London: MSc Development Economics; MSc Economics
- University of Leeds: Master of Public Health (International); MSc Sustainable Cities; MSc Water Sanitation and Health Engineering; MSc Sustainable Food Systems and Food Security
- University of Oxford: Master of Public Policy (Blavatnik School of Government); MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (Department of International Development); MSc in International Health & Tropical Medicine (Nuffield Department of Medicine)
After graduating, scholars commit to return to their home country and use their new skills for its social and economic development.
Award Information
- Be a national of one of the 2027 eligible World Bank member developing countries: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Dem. Rep.), Congo (Rep.), Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, India, Iraq, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Samoa, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, West Bank and Gaza, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
- Not hold dual citizenship of any developed country.
- Be in good health.
- Hold a bachelor's (or equivalent) degree earned at least 3 years before the application deadline.
- Be employed in development-related work in a paid full-time position when applying, with at least 3 years of paid development-related employment since the bachelor's degree, acquired within the 6 years before the application deadline. Nationals of fragile and conflict-affected countries (Annex 3 of the guidelines) must still upload proof of employment, but limited job opportunities in those countries are taken into account.
- By the application deadline, be admitted unconditionally (except for funding) for the upcoming academic year to a JJ/WBGSP participating master's programme located outside your country of citizenship and country of residence.
- Not be an Executive Director, alternate or staff member (any appointment type, including temporary and consultant) of the World Bank Group, or a close relative of one.
- Not be currently studying in a JJ/WBGSP participating programme.
- People who previously declined a JJ/WBGSP scholarship, or received one but did not graduate, cannot apply again.
- The application form must be written in English or in the language of the master's programme.
- Tuition for the graduate programme.
- Cost of basic medical insurance obtained through the university.
- Monthly subsistence allowance while on campus to cover all living expenses (accommodation, food, books); the amount varies by host country.
- Economy class air travel between your home country and the host university at the start of the programme and immediately after the scholarship ends.
- US $600 travel allowance for each of these two trips.
- Funding lasts for the duration of the programme or two years, whichever is less.
Not covered
- Visa application costs and resident permit fees.
- Expenses to bring or support family members.
- Additional travel during the programme.
- Research, field trips, workshops, seminars, internships, supplementary materials and equipment such as computers.
The scholarship only supplements, and does not duplicate, other funding; any other award must be reported to the JJ/WBGSP Secretariat.
- 2027 Application Window 2 (all UK programmes): opens 29 March 2027, closes 21 May 2027 at 12:00 noon EST.
- 2027 Application Window 1 (non-UK programmes only): 18 January to 26 February 2027.
- Admission deadlines are set by each university; you must hold an unconditional offer before you can submit the scholarship application.
- Apply for admission to one of the UK participating master's programmes listed above and obtain an unconditional offer (except for funding) for the upcoming academic year.
- Contact the university to confirm you are shortlisted as an eligible JJ/WBGSP applicant; the participating programme sends the link to the online application form only to applicants it has shortlisted.
- Agree with two professional recommenders and submit the Recommendation Request Form in the portal first; recommenders then submit their letters online in English by the deadline.
- Complete the application form on a computer (not a mobile phone) and upload the required documents.
- Submit one application only, by the Window 2 deadline. If you hold offers from more than one participating programme, choose one before submitting; the scholarship cannot be transferred later.
- Finalists must send a scanned passport identification page within three business days of the offer, and a medical certificate at least 21 days before travelling.
Questions not answered in the guidelines or FAQ can be sent in English or French to [email protected].
Official links
Documents you will need
- Proof of at least 3 years of recent paid development-related employment.
- Bachelor's degree diploma and, if applicable, the diploma of your most advanced graduate degree (not a transcript).
- CV in the Annex 4 format, in English or the language of the programme; unpaid work listed separately under "Volunteer Work".
- Unconditional (except for financing) letter of admission to the participating programme.
- Two professional recommendations from people who directly observed your paid development-related work (academic references from your time as a student do not count).
- English translations of non-English documents, uploaded with the originals (certified translation not required).
- For finalists: passport identification page (or birth/marriage certificate) and a medical certificate less than three months old at the programme start.
How selection works
- Two qualified assessors independently score each eligible application from 1 to 10.
- Weighting: quality of professional experience (30%), professional recommendations (30%), commitment to your home country (30%) and education background (10%).
- Using the average score, the Secretariat selects finalists while keeping a wide geographical and gender distribution, considering unusual circumstances or hardship, and favouring applicants with limited access to funding for study abroad.
- The JJ/WBGSP Steering Committee (World Bank Board members and management) approves the finalists; winners are notified soon after.
