A major opportunity has just opened for aspiring international development professionals worldwide. The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) has officially launched its 2026-2027 intake, offering a fully funded pathway for talented candidates to pursue a master’s degree abroad. With coverage that spans tuition, airfare, a generous living stipend, health insurance, and travel allowance, this call stands among the most competitive and transformative graduate scholarship opportunities available to developing-country nationals.
A Global Initiative to Build Future Development Leaders
Created to foster the next generation of experts driving economic and social growth, the JJ/WBGSP goes far beyond traditional funding. It targets professionals already positioned within development-related fields and enables them to gain world-class academic training, ultimately strengthening the capacity of their home countries. Scholars are required to return home after completing their degree, ensuring the program’s impact reaches national institutions, communities, and policy frameworks.
Eligible Program: MA in Development Studies at ISS
For the 2026 intake, applicants must secure admission to the MA in Development Studies at ISS, an internationally respected program that brings together students from across continents. Taught entirely in English, it is one of the select master’s programs recognized by the JJ/WBGSP. Importantly, the Mundus MAPP programme is not eligible under this scholarship.
Strict Eligibility Requirements for 2026 Applicants
The program maintains firm eligibility criteria to ensure that selected scholars bring meaningful experience and impact potential. Applicants must be nationals of a World Bank member developing country, must not hold dual citizenship with any developed nation, and must be employed in a full-time, paid development-related role. They must also hold a bachelor’s degree earned at least three years before the application deadline and possess at least three years of relevant professional experience gained within the past six years. An official admission letter from ISS is required before nomination.
Application Deadlines for the Upcoming Application Cycle
The academic application deadline for scholarship applicants is 1 March 2026, and only those admitted by ISS will be considered for nomination. The official JJ/WBGSP scholarship application window for nominated candidates closes on 15 May 2026. Because ISS may nominate only 30 candidates, applicants are strongly encouraged to prepare their documents early and meet all requirements well before these deadlines. Final scholarship selection results are expected by July 2026.
How the Application Process Unfolds?
Candidates begin by reviewing the eligibility criteria in full to ensure compliance. The next step is submitting an academic application to ISS (https://www.iss.nl/en/funding-scholarships/joint-japanworld-bank-graduate-scholarship) by the 1 March deadline to secure admission to the MA program. After admission, ISS will contact eligible applicants to confirm whether they wish to be considered for nomination.
Shortlisted candidates will receive instructions for the JJ/WBGSP portal, where all documents must be uploaded. No submissions by email or post are accepted, and applying to more than one master’s program will result in automatic disqualification.