The Japan-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia (JISPA) was first introduced in 1993. It is funded by the Government of Japan, administered by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and conducted at various graduate schools in Japan. Its objective is to contribute to institutional capacity building in economic policy making to promote the sustainable growth of emerging and developing economies in Asia and the Pacific By training future macroeconomic managers in these countries, the JISPA aims to enable them to better formulate sound economic and financial stability policies needed for sustainable growth and development. The program comprises two tracks: the partnership track and the open track. The partnership track of the JISPA allows scholars to study a specially designed graduate level course concentrating on macroeconomics at an IMF partnership university. The open track of the JISPA provides support to scholars who wish to study graduate-level macroeconomics or a related field at either the master’s or PhD level at any leading university in Japan. However, priority is given to PhD candidates. It is geared towards highly motivated officials who are able to identify a course of study in Japan suitable to their professional pursuits in the public sector and supportive of their future work as an economic policy maker.
Study Subject:
Scholarships are awarded for courses concentrating on macroeconomics (Partnership Track) and in macroeconomics or a related field (Open Track).
Eligibility:
- Under current program guidelines, candidates must be a national of one of the following countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao P D R , Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pacific Island Countries, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
- Candidates should also currently work for employment from one of the following or related government agencies: central bank, ministry of economy, ministry of finance, ministry of planning/development, ministry of trade/commerce, tax administration, national statistics bureau, or financial regulatory agencies
- Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent with at least 16 years of formal education
- Applicants must have an English language proficiency, which needs to be demonstrated as equivalent to or more than an official TOEFL score of 550, CBT213, or iBT79-80. If TOEFL scores are not available, then an overall IELTS score of at least 6 0 can be substituted
- Priority is given to applicants (1) whose age is below 40; and (2) who have not yet obtained a master’s degree from a university outside of their own country.
Scholarship Value:
For Partnership Track: Scholarships provide for admission and tuition fees; a monthly stipend (including a housing and subsistence allowance); medical/accident insurance; one round trip economy class air-ticket; and a lump-sum allowance to cover visa application costs and testing fees (such as TOEFL); and book-shipping costs The scholarship covers expenses incurred by the scholar only. Travel to Japan will be economy class by the most direct flight(s) available The IMF will provide scholars with pre-paid tickets and a travel allowance Assistance in applying for visas will be provided by the universities. Accommodations in Japan will be arranged for scholars by the university. The location of housing depends on the university’s choice and local availability University arranged housing is only for one-person occupancy. No provision will be made for married scholars wishing to live together.
For Open Track: The scholarship covers all reasonable expenses a scholar is expected to incur, including: one return airfare (subject to conditions); admissions and tuition fees; stipend (including a housing and subsistence allowance); medical and accident insurance fees. For scholars enrolled in doctoral programs, research related fees will be additionally covered. The scholarship covers expenses incurred by the scholar only.
Scholarship Duration:
For Partnership Track: The scholarship covers one year. For the two-year master’s programs, the scholarship can be renewed for the second year based on academic performance and the university’s recommendation, together with nomination by a scholar’s sponsoring agency.
For Open Track: For a master’s degree, a scholarship can be awarded for up to two consecutive one-year periods and for a PhD degree for up to three consecutive one-year periods, depending on a university requirement under a specific course of study. Annual renewal of the scholarship is subject to approval by the IMF, based on the scholar’s progress, university’s assessment, and sponsoring agency’s consent.
Number of Scholarship:
In 2014-15, a total of 36 new scholarships are available to candidates for the partnership track. There is no fixed limit on new scholarships for the open track, but generally only a small number of scholarships are awarded.
Selection Criteria:
Scholarship awards are made on the basis of the candidate’s academic record and work background, mathematical and statistics skills, English language proficiency, and potential for contributing to the macroeconomic and financial management and economic development of their country. The assessment also includes qualities such as the candidate’s commitment to public service, willingness to learn, and openness to new ideas.
How to Apply?
For both the partnership and open track, eligible candidates should submit the following:
- Completed application form. The applicant for the partnership track is requested to apply through the online application system which is available in the IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific website
- Official transcripts and official copies of diplomas or degree certificates from all undergraduate and graduate schools An official copy means a certified copy of the original document with an official seal obtained from the administration office of the university attended Copies attested by organizations/persons not having notarized/legal bearing will not be accepted
- Two reference letters: References should be from applicants’ supervisor at work and/or an academic advisor or professo
- TOEFL/IELTS certificate (if available): The TOEFL/IELTS test score must be from an examination taken after December 10, 2010 If a score is unavailable, the applicant will be requested to sit for a TOEFL/IELTS examination prior to receiving a final decision on the scholarship award
For the open track only, eligible candidates should also submit the following:
- Admission letter or enrollment certificate of the University of Choice (open track applicants only): Applicants for partnership track are not requested
- All submitted application material must be presented in English or be accompanied by an official English translation. The material will be considered under the control of the IMF and provided to the relevant school(s) and the Government of Japan as it sees appropriate. None of the material will be returned to applicants. Application material should be sent by mail to the IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.
Application Deadline:
For Partnership Track: The application deadline for the partnership track is December 10, 2013.
For Open Track: There is no application deadline and applications are accepted and reviewed year-round.
For further information: Japan-IMF Scholarships
