Asian Development Bank - Japan Scholarship Program

1. What is the Asian Development Bank - Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP)

ADB-JSP, financed by the Government of Japan and organized by the Asian Development Bank, aims to provide an opportunity citizens of ADB's developing member countries to pursue postgraduate studies. The Division of Environmental Studies which is consisted of six departments, and the Graduate Program in Sustainability Science at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences (GSFS) have been designated by ADB to receive allocation with the ADB-JSP scholarship since 2000. The following departments are accepting ADB-JSP students.

2. Eligibility

Individuals who meet the qualification requirements set by ADB-JSP and wish to enroll in the master's course of the Division of Environmental Studies or Graduate Program in Sustainability Science, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences are eligible to apply.

  • Please check the qualification requirements set by ADB-JSP on ADB-JSP website.
  • The Departments of the Diviosn of Environmental Studies are Dept. of Natural Environmental Studies, Dept. of Human and Engineered Environmental Studies, Dept. of Ocean Technology, Policy and Environmental Studies, Dept. of Socio-cultural Environmental Studies, Dept. of Environment Systems, and Dept. of International Studies.
  • Degrees awarded upon completion:
    1. Master of Environmental Studies for those completing the master's program in Dept. of Natural Environmental Studies, Dept. of Human and Engineered Environmental Studies, Dept. of Ocean Technology, Policy and Environmental Studies, Dept. of Socio-cultural Environmental Studies and Dept. of Environment Systems.
    2. Master of International Studies for those completing the master's program in Dept. of International Studies.
    3. Master of Sustainability Studies for those completing the master's program in the Graduate Program in Sustainability Science.

Those wishing to enroll in specializations in the Davison of Biosciences, or the Division of Transidsciplinary are not eligible to apply for the ADB-JSP scholarship. Please check this website.
https://www.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/exam/master/

3. Application procedures

Step 1 Check your eligibility set by ADB-JSP
https://www.adb.org/work-with-us/careers/japan-scholarship-program
Step 2 Search for faculty members who you wish to be supervised To search for a supervisor, you check the relevant department website, or GSFS website.
https://www.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/gsfs/faculty/
Step 3 Upload application materials to a designated URL by December 10.
Step 4 Only successful candidates will be required to submit documents for ADB scholarship application (Mid February). GSFS will nominate successful candidates who have submitted all the required documents to ADB (last March).
Step 5 ADB-JSP notifies us of the selection result (May)
Step 6 Procedures on admission and immigration (May to September)
Step 7 Enter Japan with a student visa and enroll in GSFS (late September) . The autumn semester starts on October 1

4. How to apply

The application guidelines for those seeking admission in Fall 2025 have been updated.

Please see the guideline for the details.

Guideline for 2025 October Enrollment

Designated forms

5. FAQs

I am over 35 years old. Has your institution been designated by ADB to accept seniors who are over 35 years old?
No. GSFS is not allowed to recommend any candidates who are over 35 years old to ADB.
I would like to enroll in a doctoral course. May I apply for ADB-JSP?
No. According to the ADB-JSP eligibility, only master course applicants are eligible. If you would like to pursue a Ph. D. degree, we recommend you apply for a MEXT scholarship of Embassy Recommendation. The first contact is the Japanese Embassy in your country.
Does the ADB-JSP also cover my dependents?
No. The ADB-JSP scholarship covers the scholar only.
Should I contact ADB-JSP directly and send a set of application forms?
No. ADB-JSP accepts applications from the designated institutions only.
I worked as a research assistant and get paid by my professor while studying my undergraduate course. Can I include it as an "Professional experience" required by ADB-JSP?
No. Professional experience must be what you did after you graduated from the undergraduate program. And the work you did must be related to the field you studied in your undergraduate program.
What are the lectures that are taught in English?
Lectures that GSFS offer in English can be referred to at the following link.
https://www.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/campuslife/kougi/
Departments sometimes allow you to take courses outside your department program that may be applied as a part of the required units to satisfy the graduation requirements of your program. Please refer to "COURSE REGISTRATION AND OTHER PROCEDURES" on the above link.
Do I have to obtain an agreement about my application from a GSFS professor prior to my application?
No, but we strongly suggest you contact the GSFS researcher whom you would like to be supervised under to discuss your research topic and obtain an unofficial agreement for application. Choosing a supervisor is very important because writing a master's thesis is mandatory to complete your master's program.