Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS) Program

The Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS) Program is a capacity building project by the AfDB and Japan which was initiated in 2017 with the aim of providing two-year scholarship awards to highly achieving African graduate students to enable them to undergo post-graduate studies (i.e. a two-year Master’s degree program) in selected priority development areas on the continent and Japan.

Note: 2021/2022 application and intake for Japanese Universities
Application deadline for September 2021/April 2022 Intake: August 31, 2021​

About the JADS program

The JADS Program is open to applicants from AfDB member countries with relevant professional experience and a history of supporting their countries’ development efforts who are applying to a graduate degree program in energy development and related discipline.  The program does not provide scholarships to any other graduate degree program.

The scholarship program provides tuition, a monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare, health insurance, and travel allowance.

Upon completion of their studies, the beneficiary scholars are expected to return to their home countries to apply and disseminate their newly acquired knowledge and skills, and contribute to the promotion of sustainable development of their countries.

Scholarship Benefits

The JADS Scholarship provides the recipient with the following benefits:

• Economy class air travel between your home country and the host university at the start of the study program and immediately following the end of the scholarship period.
• Tuition for a graduate program and the cost of basic medical insurance usually obtained through the university.
• A monthly subsistence allowance to cover living expenses, including books.

For scholars engaged in research, a special grant may be available for research and thesis preparation. In special circumstances, computer literacy, preparatory language and other similar courses may be covered under the scholarship. Please note all JADS scholarships cover the duration of the graduate program or two years, whichever is less.

The JADS Scholarship does not cover:

• VISA application(s) costs
• Expenses to bring and/or support scholar’s family members;
• Extra-curricular courses or training;
• Language training not provided by the graduate program;
• Additional travel during the course of the study program;
• Expenses related to supplementary educational materials, field trips, participation in workshops/seminars, or internships; or
• Educational equipment such as computers.

Note: The JADS Scholarship may only supplement, and does not duplicate, any other source of financial support/fellowship you might have. If selected as a finalist or if you are awarded a scholarship, you must inform the JADS if you have other sources of scholarship funds. The JADS stipend may be withdrawn completely or partially if during the scholarship period the program has evidence of additional sources of support.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE

• No separate application to AfDB is necessary.
• Only candidates who have been offered admission and endorsed by the university will be considered for the JADS Program.
• The JADS does not cover expenses for the scholar’s family; extra-curricular courses or training; additional travel during the course of the study program; additional expenses related to supplementary educational materials, field trips, or participation in workshops, seminars, or internships while at the university or purchase of educational equipment such as computers.
• Completion of the application form or admission by the JADS partner university does not mean that you have been accepted for a scholarship; accordingly you should not take any action with respect to your current employment or otherwise, until you have been informed by AfDB that you have been awarded a scholarship.

What can an applicant do before the call?

• Read information posted on this website and review eligibility criteria carefully.
• Begin gathering required documentation for the scholarship application, including: your current curriculum vitae, proof of employment for each record of employment since earning a Bachelor’s degree, and certified copy of the certificate of your most advanced university degree earned.
• Identify two professional references.
• Prepare your research plan and proposal
• Identify two professional references.
• Take TOEFL iBT, TOEC test for English proficiency score report

Who is Eligible to Apply?

The program is open to those who have gained admission to an approved Masters degree course at a Japanese partner university. Candidates should be 35 years old or younger; in good health; with a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in the energy area or related area; and have a superior academic record. Upon completion of their study programs, scholars are expected to return to their home country to contribute to its economic and social development.

Details on Eligibility Criteria are provided in that call’s Application Guidelines, and these detailed eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made. Broadly speaking, nationals of African countries must:

• Be a national of a AfDB member country
• Be in good health
• Hold a Bachelor (or equivalent) degree in the energy area (or related field) earned at least 1 years prior to the application deadline date
• Have 1 years or more of recent development-related experience after earning a Bachelor (or equivalent) degree.
• Be accepted unconditionally to enroll in the upcoming academic year in at least one of the JADS partner universities for a Master’s degree.
• Applicants living or working in a country other than his or her home country are not eligible for scholarships.
• JADS does not support applicants who are already enrolled in graduate degree programs.
• Not be an Executive Director, his/her alternate, and/or staff of all types of appointments of the African Development Bank Group or a close relative of the aforementioned by blood or adoption with the term “close relative” defined as: Mother, Father, Sister, Half-sister, Brother, Half-brother, Son, Daughter, Aunt, Uncle, Niece, or Nephew.

*Please note: All eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made. Eligibility criteria will not change during an open call for applications. However, this information is subject to change between the close of one application process and the opening of the next.

List of Universities

For further information and inquiries, please contact: ​JADS@AFDB.ORG

Application Procedures

1. Applicant requests for information and application forms and procedures from the chosen JADS partner university. For any inquiries, please contact JADS@AFDB.ORG(link sends e-mail)
2. Applicant completes required documents and sends them to the university.
3. University evaluates and selects applicants.
4. University sends selected candidates to the AfDB.
5. AfDB reviews submissions from universities, prepares and approves the final list.
6. AfDB contacts selected awardees, and informs the universities.

Selection Process

The JADS program uses the following four main factors and the degree of cohesion, to review eligible scholarship applications, with the aim of identifying the candidates with the highest potential, after completion of their graduate studies, to impact the development of their countries.

1. Quality of Education Background
2. Quality of Professional Recommendations
3. Quality of Professional Experience
4. Quality of Commitment to your Home Country
5. Quality of Statement of Purpose

JADS awards scholarships to applicants who have had at least 1 year of paid employment in the applicant’s home country or in other African countries acquired after receiving the first Bachelors (or equivalent university) degree within the past 3 years.

The JADS Secretariat uses the following criteria to select the finalists:

• Maintaining a reasonably wide geographical distribution of awards, that takes into account the geographic distribution of eligible applications;
• Maintaining a reasonable distribution of awards across gender that takes into account the distribution of eligible applications across gender;
• Giving scholarships to those applicants who, other things being equal, appear to have limited financial resources
• Unusual circumstances / hardships, when assessing the employment experience and other aspects of an application.

The JADS Secretariat presents the finalists to the AfDB’s Executive Director for Japan for approval on a rolling basis, matching the JADS partner universities admission cycle. A seminar is held for all finalists in each cycle at the AfDB’s Headquarters. The Secretariat informs the scholarship winners to the partner universities soon after approval.

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