Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS)

JADS is open to nationals of AfDB's regional member countries (the African countries eligible for the Bank's development financing), with a strong emphasis on candidates who already have some professional track record supporting their country's development. Eligible fields cluster around the Bank's priority development sectors: energy, agriculture, health, environmental sustainability, and engineering, reflecting AfDB's broader mission to close Africa's infrastructure and human-capital gaps.

Applicants must generally be 35 years of age or younger, hold a relevant bachelor's degree, and have at least one year of post-graduation work experience within Africa. Because the program prioritizes professionals already contributing to development work rather than fresh graduates, competitive applications typically demonstrate a clear link between the applicant's past work and their intended area of Master's study.

Scholars apply through partner Japanese universities - such as Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), which runs a dedicated AfDB-JADS admissions track within its own graduate application process - rather than through a single centralized AfDB portal. Each partner university evaluates applicants and recommends suitable candidates, with AfDB and the Government of Japan making the final scholarship award decisions.

Benefits are comprehensive: full tuition, a monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare, health insurance, and a travel allowance, covering the full two-year Master's program in Japan. Because deadlines are tied to each partner university's own admissions cycle (with intakes typically in April and September), and can be announced up to a year or more in advance, prospective applicants should monitor both the AfDB careers page and their chosen partner university's international admissions office closely.