AK Travels Limited

Summary

• Scholarship: Asian Development Bank–Japan Scholarship Program (ADB–JSP)
• Institution: University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa / East-West Center
• Location: Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, USA
• Degree: Master’s
• Expected intake: August 2027
• Funding: Fully funded
• Tuition: Full tuition and fees
• Accommodation: East-West Center residence hall
• Stipend: Monthly subsistence allowance
• Other support: Books, health insurance and airfare
• Eligible applicants: Citizens of eligible ADB developing member countries
• Experience: At least 2 years of full-time professional experience after university
• Age: Normally 35 or younger
• Application deadline: 1 December 2026, 11:59 p.m. Hawaiʻi Standard Time

About the ADB–Japan Scholarship Program

The Asian Development Bank–Japan Scholarship Program (ADB–JSP) was established in 1988 with financing from the Government of Japan to provide qualified citizens of ADB developing member countries with opportunities for postgraduate study.

At the East-West Center/University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the scholarship supports eligible students undertaking approved Master’s programmes while participating in the East-West Center’s educational, residential and leadership-development activities.

The current ADB partner-institution listing identifies the East-West Center in Hawaiʻi as a participating institution and lists approved Master’s fields including Global Business Administration, Economics, Geography, Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Ocean and Resources Engineering, Oceanography, Pacific Island Studies, Public Administration, Sociology, Tropical Plant and Soil Science, and Urban and Regional Planning.

The scholarship is intended for professionals who can use the knowledge gained through graduate study to contribute to the socioeconomic development of their home countries. Scholars are expected to return to their home country after completing the programme.

Scholarship Benefits

The ADB–JSP provides comprehensive financial support for selected scholars, including:

• Full tuition fees
• Monthly subsistence allowance, including housing support
• Accommodation in the East-West Center residence hall
• Book and instructional-material allowance
• Medical insurance
• Round-trip travel expenses
• Research/thesis-related support where applicable

The scholarship may also support certain preparatory language, computer-literacy or similar courses in special circumstances under the programme’s rules.

The award can cover up to two years for an eligible Master’s programme, subject to satisfactory academic performance and the applicable scholarship conditions.

The scholarship does not cover expenses for dependants, additional travel during the programme, extracurricular courses or training, or certain supplementary educational expenses.

Who Can Apply?

Applicants must meet the ADB–JSP’s general requirements and the East-West Center/University of Hawaiʻi requirements.

The main ADB requirements include:

• Be a citizen of an ADB borrowing member country and a country eligible for Japanese ODA scholarships.
• Not hold dual citizenship of a developed country.
• Have admission to an approved Master’s course at a designated institution.
• Hold a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with a strong academic record.
• Have at least two years of full-time professional work experience acquired after obtaining a university degree.
• Demonstrate sufficient English proficiency.
• Normally be 35 years old or younger at the time of application.
• Be in good health.
• Be living and working in the home country at the time of application.
• Not already be enrolled in a graduate degree programme.
• Agree to return to the home country and work there for at least two years after completing the scholarship.

Important for Nigerian applicants: Nigeria does not appear on the current official ADB–JSP eligible-country list, so Nigerian citizens should not treat this particular University of Hawaiʻi ADB–JSP award as an eligible scholarship.

Step-by-Step Application Process

Step 1: Check your nationality.
Confirm that your country appears on ADB’s current eligible-country list before investing time in the application.

Step 2: Select an approved Master’s programme.
Choose an eligible University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Master’s programme covered by ADB–JSP.

Step 3: Apply for admission to the University of Hawaiʻi.
Applicants must submit an application for admission to the relevant UH Mānoa programme and obtain proof of submission. The current East-West Center application specifically requests proof of the UH application.

Step 4: Prepare the scholarship documents.
The current East-West Center application requests documents including:

• Proof of UH application submission
• CV/resumé
• Official academic transcripts
• Degree/graduation certificates
• English-language test results

The current application instructions specify scanned documents for the initial submission and subsequent official hard-copy requirements.

Step 5: Submit the ADB–JSP application to East-West Center.
The scholarship application is separate from the university admission application. Complete the East-West Center’s online ADB–JSP application.

Step 6: Submit before the deadline.
The current East-West Center application requires submission by 1 December 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Hawaiʻi Standard Time.

Step 7: Selection.
The participating institution screens and ranks applicants before the candidates are considered through the ADB–JSP selection process. Final scholarship approval is made through the programme’s established ADB/Japan process.

Important Deadline

For the current application cycle leading to the August 2027 intake, the East-West Center’s ADB–JSP application deadline is:

1 December 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Hawaiʻi Standard Time.

Applicants should note that the University of Hawaiʻi admission deadline varies according to the Master’s programme, so the university application should be started well before the scholarship deadline.

Related Opportunities

For readers interested in fully funded Master’s opportunities, AK Travels LTD has previously covered:

1. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters – fully funded Master’s opportunities across European university consortia.
2. Yenching Academy Scholarship – fully funded Master’s study at Peking University in China.
3. KAIST Graduate Scholarship – funded graduate study in South Korea.

Official Application Link

Final Note from AK Travels LTD

The ADB–Japan Scholarship Program at the University of Hawaiʻi/East-West Center is a genuine fully funded Master’s opportunity, covering tuition, accommodation, living support, books, medical insurance and travel. However, eligibility is nationality-specific.

For the current cycle leading to the 2027 intake, applicants should first confirm that their country is on ADB’s official eligible-country list and then apply for an approved Master’s programme at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa before completing the separate East-West Center scholarship application.

Nigerian applicants should take particular note that Nigeria is not currently listed among the eligible ADB–JSP countries. Applicants should always check the official ADB list before applying.

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