ADB–Japan Scholarship Program

Fully funded master's degrees at 27 partner institutions across Asia and the Pacific — 17 of which are in Japan, including the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University. Running since 1988, funded by the Government of Japan. Pakistan is explicitly eligible.

Multi-institution hub — no single ADB deadline

Apply to a designated partner institution; the university nominates candidates to ADB. Official partner pages list intake and application months per school. Japanese partner windows commonly fall in different months — always confirm with your target university. Do not treat any one site-wide date as an official ADB calendar fact.

View designated institutions

Return obligation — at least two years after completion

ADB–JSP scholars must return to their home country and work there for at least two years after completing the degree. This is a formal condition of the award, not a suggestion. If your goal is to stay in Japan or use the degree as a migration stepping stone, this scholarship is not compatible with that goal. If your goal is to bring a postgraduate qualification home and apply it here — this is one of the better-funded routes available to you.

What it covers

TuitionFull fees at the partner institution

Subsistence allowanceMonthly allowance covering living and housing costs

Book allowanceCovered

Medical insuranceComprehensive cover during studies

Return airfareHome country to Japan and back

Thesis grantResearch/thesis preparation grant

What it does not cover

Family expenses
Additional travel during studies
Extracurricular courses
Computers or personal equipment
Workshops or internships not part of the formal programme

Eligibility

Pakistani national (Pakistan is an ADB borrowing member country)
At least two (2) years of full-time professional working experience acquired after a university degree, at the time of application
Under 35 years of age at time of application (exceptions rare and require strong justification)
Bachelor's degree or equivalent with a strong academic record
Must not currently be living or working outside Pakistan at time of application
Must not already be enrolled in a graduate degree programme
Must not hold dual citizenship of any developed country
Must formally agree to return to Pakistan and work there for at least two years after completion of studies

Fields covered

Economics, business and management, science and technology, and other development-related fields. Your proposed field of study must connect clearly to your academic background and professional experience, and align with either ADB's development priorities or Japan's overseas development assistance focus areas.

Master's only. PhD and undergraduate applications are not accepted.

How to apply — three stages

ADB–JSP works differently from MEXT. There is no central embassy application. You apply directly to a partner university, which then nominates you to ADB.

1
Apply directly to a partner institution
Each university has its own application portal, deadlines, and document requirements. You can apply to more than one institution simultaneously. There is no central ADB portal at this stage.
2
University screens and nominates
Shortlisted candidates are submitted by the university to ADB. You do not contact ADB directly at this stage — the university is your only route in.
3
ADB selects, Japan approves
ADB reviews nominations against its own criteria and recommends candidates to the Japanese executive director for formal approval. The ADB selection criteria emphasise academic excellence, relevance of proposed study to development priorities, leadership potential, and commitment to contributing to Pakistan's development after returning.

Partner institutions in Japan (selected)

University of Tokyo

Multiple graduate schools; globally top-ranked

Kyoto University

Strong research across sciences and engineering

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU)

International focus; higher acceptance rates for ADB–JSP candidates in certain fields

Full institution list: adb.org/work-with-us/careers/japan-scholarship-program/institutions

ADB–JSP vs MEXT: which one to apply for?

These two scholarships are often mentioned together but serve different applicants.

	ADB–JSP	MEXT Research
Level	Master's only	Master's and PhD
Apply through	Partner university	Embassy of Japan, Islamabad
Fields	Development-related, economics, science/tech	Most academic fields
Return obligation	Yes — ≥2 years work home after completion	No formal obligation
Work experience	≥2 years full-time post-degree	Not required for embassy track
Annual awards (Pakistan)	Share of ~135 global awards	~11 awards (2024–25)
IELTS required	Depends on university	No
Age limit	Under 35	Typically 22–35

If you want to stay in Japan after graduating, apply for MEXT. If you plan to return and your field is development-oriented, ADB–JSP gives you a wider set of strong universities and a more straightforward application route. If you are eligible for both, apply for both — the application processes are parallel and non-exclusive.

Common mistakes to watch for

Applying without the mandatory 2+ years post-degree work experience

ADB requires at least two years of full-time professional experience acquired after your university degree, at the time of application. Counting internships or pre-degree work as if they satisfy this rule is a common failure mode.

Applying without reading the return obligation carefully

Scholars must return home and work for at least two years after completion. It is a formal commitment. If your goal is Japan settlement, this scholarship is not compatible.

Choosing a university based on name recognition alone

UTokyo and Kyoto are competitive globally. APU and smaller partners may be better matches for certain fields and have higher acceptance rates for ADB–JSP candidates. Match your field and research plan to the institution's actual strengths.

Missing the university deadline, not an invented 'ADB deadline'

ADB does not accept direct first-stage applications and does not publish one site-wide deadline. If you miss the university's nomination window, you are out for that intake.

Not connecting your study plan to development impact

ADB evaluates proposals on how they relate to Pakistan's development challenges. A generic statement of academic interest will not be competitive. The application needs to answer: what problem are you going back to help solve?

Eligibility (including 2+ years post-degree work experience and ≥2 year return obligation) verified against official ADB programme pages, July 2026. Confirm application months directly with your chosen institution. Official programme page: adb.org/work-with-us/careers/japan-scholarship-program

Compare: MEXT Scholarship Is Japan worth it?All fully-funded scholarships