Since 1996, the Graduate School of Business and Commerce of Keio University has been training promising tax personnel in the field of tax policy and administration with its Master’s Degree Program in Taxation Policy and Management. This program brings together the cooperation of Keio University, the National Tax Agency of Japan (NTA), and the World Bank in an alliance between public and private institutions.
Funded by the GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN and administered by the WORLD BANK
Keio University, a leading private university in Japan, established the program as one of the partnership programs of the Joint Japan /World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP). Funded by the Government of Japan and administered by the World Bank, the JJ/WBGSP is a personnel training project which awards scholarships to help developing countries strengthen their human resources.
Number of scholarship awards
Up to five awards for the 2019 academic year – 2020 academic year
Scholarship Period
Two years (April 2019 to March 2021)
Application Criteria
Be a national of a Bank member country that is eligible to receive Bank financing and not be a national of any country that is not eligible to receive the Bank financing. For the list of eligible World Bank countries, see eligible country list.
Not hold dual citizen of any developed country.
Be in good health with respect to the capacity to be a productive scholar for the duration of the Graduate Program, as certified by a medical doctor.
Hold a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent with superior academic achievement earned at least three (3) years prior to the Scholarship Application Deadline.
Not received any scholarship funding to earn a Graduate degree or its equivalent from any sources funded by the government of Japan.
Be employed in a paid and full time position at the time of the Scholarship Application Deadline unless the applicant is from a country identified in the World Bank’s “Harmonized List of Fragile Situations”.
Have, by the time of the Scholarship Application Deadline, at least three(3)years of recent full time paid professional experience in the field of tax policy and administration at a public body after a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in the applicant’s home country or in another developing country; If the applicant is from a country identified in the World Bank’s “Harmonized List of Fragile Situations” at the time of the Scholarship Application Deadline, the recent professional experience does not have to be full time or paid.
Not be an Executive Director, his / her alternate, staff of the World Bank Group(the World Bank, International Development Association, International Finance Corporation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes), 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.
Accepted to the University unconditionally or conditionally only upon securing financing.
Demonstrate proficiency in the English language at the level of a TOEFL score of 79 (iBT) or better, or an IELTS score of 6.0 or better.
Meet any other criteria for admission established by Keio University.
Applicants must not be currently pursuing a Master’s or Ph.D. program in industrialized countries.
Applicants must not have had one or more years of training / studies and / or residency in an industrialized country.
Applicants must not be permanent residents / nationals of industrialized countries.
Scholarship Benefits
A Monthly stipend: JPY 152,000 *To cover all living expenses (accommodations, food, etc., including books).
Application Fee, Admission Fee, and Tuition
Economy-class air travel between your home country and Japan at the start of your study program at Keio and immediately following the end of the scholarship period. In addition to the two-way air travel, scholars will receive a USD500 travel allowance for each trip;
The JJ/WBGSP scholarship does NOT cover:
VISA application(s) costs
Expenses to bring and/or support a 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 research, supplementary educational materials, field trips, participation in workshops/seminars, or internships; or
Educational equipment such as computers.
Application Criteria
Be a national of a Bank member country that is eligible to receive Bank financing and not be a national of any country that is not eligible to receive the Bank financing. For the list of eligible World Bank countries, see eligible country list.
Not hold dual citizen of any developed country.
Be in good health with respect to the capacity to be a productive scholar for the duration of the Graduate Program, as certified by a medical doctor.
Hold a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent with superior academic achievement earned at least three (3) years prior to the Scholarship Application Deadline.
Not received any scholarship funding to earn a Graduate degree or its equivalent from any sources funded by the government of Japan.
Be employed in a paid and full time position at the time of the Scholarship Application Deadline unless the applicant is from a country identified in the World Bank’s “Harmonized List of Fragile Situations”.
Have, by the time of the Scholarship Application Deadline, at least three(3)years of recent full time paid professional experience in the field of tax policy and administration at a public body after a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in the applicant’s home country or in another developing country; If the applicant is from a country identified in the World Bank’s “Harmonized List of Fragile Situations” at the time of the Scholarship Application Deadline, the recent professional experience does not have to be full time or paid.
Not be an Executive Director, his / her alternate, staff of the World Bank Group(the World Bank, International Development Association, International Finance Corporation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes), 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.
Accepted to the University unconditionally or conditionally only upon securing financing.
Demonstrate proficiency in the English language at the level of a TOEFL score of 79 (iBT) or better, or an IELTS score of 6.0 or better.
Meet any other criteria for admission established by Keio University.
Applicants must not be currently pursuing a Master’s or Ph.D. program in industrialized countries.
Applicants must not have had one or more years of training / studies and / or residency in an industrialized country.
Applicants must not be permanent residents / nationals of industrialized countries.
[…] The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) is open to women and men from developing countries with relevant professional experience and a history of supporting their countries’ development efforts who are applying to a master degree program in a development-related topic. […]
I have applied twice. It’s difficult for to see where one really goes wrong. I tried as much as possible to adhere to the criteria. I wish that one day, the program will set country-specific standards to enable poor youths in dire need of such opportunity get a chance. It’s extremely agonizing to knowingly put so much effort but then realize that you did nothing..
This is really a wonderful opportunity i have been searching for, i hope i will be given the chance to participate in this wonderful program.
Thank you
God bless JJ/WBGSP, am happy to be an applicant.
[…] The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) is open to women and men from developing countries with relevant professional experience and a history of supporting their countries’ development efforts who are applying to a master degree program in a development-related topic. […]
This is positive peace for future leaders on the african continent.
I have applied twice. It’s difficult for to see where one really goes wrong. I tried as much as possible to adhere to the criteria. I wish that one day, the program will set country-specific standards to enable poor youths in dire need of such opportunity get a chance. It’s extremely agonizing to knowingly put so much effort but then realize that you did nothing..