The Japan-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia (JISPA) supports graduate studies in macroeconomics or related fields in leading universities in Japan. It provides educational opportunities to promising junior officials from central banks, ministries of finance and other economic agencies in the Asia-Pacific region, aiming to build their capacity in economic policymaking to support sustainable growth and development in their own countries and the region.
The program was first introduced in 1993, and is funded by the Government of Japan and administered by the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (OAP) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
More than 840 officials have graduated since its inception, and many alumni play a key role in policymaking in their countries.
There are two tracks of this scholarship
The program offers a partnership track with tailored master's programs in several partner universities, and an open track with graduate programs, including PhD degrees, in any university in Japan. About 30 new scholarships are awarded every year for the partnership track, and only a small number of scholars are selected for the open track.
1. Partnership Track
The JISPA partnership track allows scholars to study specially designed master's courses in macroeconomics at one of the few IMF partnership universities. Currently four partnership universities offer the following programs:
- National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS)
Macroeconomic Policy Programs (Master of Public Policy or Master of Public Economics - one-year program; and Master of Arts in Public Economics - two-year program) - Hitotsubashi University (HIT)
Asian Public Policy Program [Master of Public Policy (Public Economics) - two-year program] - International University of Japan (IUJ)
Macroeconomic Policy Program (Master of Arts in Economics - two-year program) - The University of Tokyo (UTokyo)
Master of Public Policy, International Program (Master of Public Policy - two-year program)
The scholarship covers tuition-related costs and most living expenses for the scholar herself/himself.[1] Benefits include:
- Full university admission and tuition fees
- Reserach related allowance and monthly living allowance
- Medical insurance
- A round-trip airfare and travel allowance
- Orientation Program tuition fees (partnership track only)
- Annual field trip fees (partnership track only)
- Computer/software allowance (master's program only)
- Research related fees, including field research and conference attendance fees (open-track PhD program only)
No expenses incurred by accompanying family members of the scholar are covered. No other scholarship can be accepted by JISPA scholars.
To be eligible for the scholarship, an applicant must meet the following criteria[1]:
- A national of one of the following countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao P.D.R., Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pacific Island Countries, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam
- Working for a key economic agency such as central bank, ministry of economy, ministry of finance, or financial regulatory agency[2]
- A Bachelor’s degree
- Fluent in English[3]
In addition, for the open track, applicants are expected to be studying at, have been admitted into, or be applying to a graduate program in economics in Japan.
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