ADB-Japan Scholarship Program at the East-West Center: Study a Fully Funded Master’s in Honolulu

The Asian Development Bank–Japan Scholarship Program funds a Master’s degree at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Administered by the East-West Center in Honolulu and financed by the Government of Japan, it covers full tuition, a round-trip flight from your home country, housing, a monthly stipend, textbooks, health insurance, and J-1 visa sponsorship. But it is not open to everyone — you must be a citizen of an ADB developing member country and living in your home country right now.

Applications close on December 1 at 11:59 PM Hawaii Standard Time. Note: you must apply twice — once to the East-West Center for the scholarship, and separately to the University of Hawaiʻi for admission.

Key Facts in One Place

Detail	What You Need to Know
Program	Asian Development Bank–Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP)
University	University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii
Administered by	East-West Center
Level	Master’s degree (11 funded fields)
Funding	Tuition, airfare, housing, stipend, textbooks, health insurance, J-1 visa
Deadline	December 1, 11:59 PM Hawaii Standard Time
Hard-copy documents	By mail, arriving December 15
Cycle	Every other year

What the Scholarship Covers

The official support list is unusually complete:

• Full tuition and fees
• Round-trip travel to Honolulu from your home country
• Housing in East-West Center residence facilities
• A monthly stipend
• Funds for textbooks
• Health insurance
• US visa sponsorship (J-1 Exchange Visitor)

You live in the Center’s own residence facilities, alongside scholars from across Asia and the Pacific. The J-1 visa sponsorship is confirmed, so the visa process comes with the scholarship. No stipend amount is stated, so treat it as a living allowance confirmed after selection.

Who Can Apply — and Who Should Not

Apply only if every one of these is true for you:

• You are a citizen of an ADB developing member country and currently live in that same country.
• You are not more than 35 years old at the time of application.
• You hold a 4-year bachelor’s degree, or an equivalent such as a 3-year bachelor’s plus a 1-year master’s.
• You have at least 2 years of full-time professional work experience gained after your degree.
• You hold an English test result from within the past two years: TOEFL iBT 79–80, IELTS 6.5, or Duolingo 95.

Do not apply if any of the following applies: you live or work outside your home country; you previously studied abroad outside the ADB developing member countries; or you are seeking a second Master’s degree. The program builds capacity in ADB developing member countries, and scholars return home afterwards. If that does not fit you, look at the Maastricht NL-High Potential Scholarship, the KAUST scholarships, or the Yenching Academy scholarship in Beijing instead.

The Fields You Can Study

Only 11 Master’s programs are funded: Business Administration (Global MBA), Economics, Geography, Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Ocean and Resources Engineering, Oceanography, Pacific Islands Studies, Public Administration, Sociology, Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, and Urban and Regional Planning. The university requires the GMAT for the Global MBA and the GRE for most others — and the Global MBA uses a separate application route, not the general graduate admissions site. Pick the field that matches your work experience.

How to Apply — Two Applications, Not One

1. Apply to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa separately for admission into your chosen Master’s program. Keep the acknowledgement receipt as proof.
2. Complete the ADB-JSP scholarship application to the East-West Center through Submittable.
3. Upload your documents: proof of your UH application, a CV or resume, scanned transcripts and degree certificates, and your English test result. If your UH proof is delayed, a brief note saying you have applied will do for now.
4. Mail official hard copies of transcripts and degree certificates so they reach the East-West Center by December 15. Photocopies are not accepted. Arrange recommendation letters early — late letters are a common reason applications fall apart.
5. Submit by December 1, 11:59 PM Hawaii Standard Time. You cannot edit your application after submitting.

Order official transcripts from your university weeks ahead — universities are slow, and international mail to Honolulu takes time. The hard copies must physically arrive by December 15.

How to Strengthen Your Application

The selection follows ADB’s development strategy, so show more than good grades. Explain how your work connects to your home country’s development needs, using concrete results. Your study plan should answer one quiet question: what will you do after the degree? Name a real role and a real problem you want to work on back home. Also check your English test date: results must come from a test taken within the past two years.

Why This Scholarship Stands Out

Most scholarships fund your degree and leave you on your own. This one adds a residential and leadership program, so you spend your Master’s years inside a community of professionals from across Asia and the Pacific.

The every-other-year cycle makes this a rare opening — when the window closes, the next chance comes two years later. If you plan to build your career at home, this is designed for you; for settling abroad permanently, the Durham PhD studentships may fit better.

Questions Applicants Ask