The Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship by Japanese Grant Aid (JDS) (former Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS)) or JDS Fellows was created to support human resource development in Japanese grant aid recipient countries. The JDS Project targets the highly capable young officials (mainly government) who are expected to engage in implementing social and economic development plans as a future leader.
JDS Fellows are also expected to contribute to the enhanced bilateral relations between their countries and Japan, with a well-rounded knowledge of Japan.
JDS Project offers 2-year Master’s courses at Japanese Universities in English. JDS Fellows will get a special opportunity for directly learning the forefront knowledge in the technological environment as well as for building wide human networks.
Course level: Master’s
Fields of study: Public policy, sustainable development, disaster risk reduction, and environmental management
Scholarship period: 1 to 2 years
Institution and country: International University of Japan, Meiji University, International Christian University, Hitotsubashi University, International University of Japan, Kobe University, Rikkyo University, Yokohama National University, Nagoya University, Hiroshima University, Hokkaido University, and The University of Tokyo
Sponsor: Japanese government
Number of awards: 20 students per eligible country
Scholarship inclusions:
- Full tuition fees
- Monthly allowance
- One roundtrip airfare between Japan and home country
- Other designated allowances (field study, etc.)
Eligibility criteria for the JDS Fellows:
- Nationality. Must be a citizen of one of these countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
- Age. Must be between 22 and 39 years old as of April 1, 2020.
- Occupation. Must be an employee of target organizations (government) and not be a member of the military.
- Work experience. Must be currently employed in the Target Organizations (government), must have permanent status (in principle), and must have at least 2 years of work experience, particularly in work relevant to the selected Component, at the time of application.
- Performance rating. Must have a performance rating of at least ‘Very Satisfactory’ during the last performance evaluation in the organization.
- Academic background.
- Should have a Bachelor’s degree relevant to the target field
- For Component 1‐2, 16 years of formal education is required (in principle), however, relevant academic/research career or working experience can be considered as the alternative to meet the requirement
- Has a good command of both written and spoken English
- For Component 1‐3 (International Christian University), TOEFL score of 79 (iBT) / 550 (PBT) or IELTS score of 6.5 or higher is preferred
- Degree. Has not been awarded any foreign scholarship for a Master’s degree;
Application deadline: Varies per country, but usually around December before the academic year applied for. Check country-specific pages for the application instructions and deadlines.
How to apply for the JDS Fellows:
Applications are submitted to the JICE JDS Project Offices of each eligible country. Application forms can be downloaded from the ‘Downloadables’ section of the ‘Country List’ section of the main scholarship website (see below). The entire selection process will be composed of an Aptitude Exam (English and Mathematics), first selection (document screening), health check-up, second selection (technical interview), and third selection (comprehensive interview).
Candidates should refer to country-specific instructions on the Country List section of the scholarship website for further information.
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