The Japan Africa Dream Scholarship is a capacity-building programme run by the African Development Bank and the Government of Japan for high-achieving African students. It funds two-year Master's degrees in energy, agriculture, health, environmental sustainability and engineering at partner Japanese universities, with full tuition, a monthly stipend, flights and health insurance. Scholars are expected to return home and contribute to national and continental socio-economic development.
Why it is notable: you don't apply to the AfDB directly — you request JADS consideration inside the partner university's admission application, and the university recommends candidates to the AfDB; each partner university has its own deadline (APU: 5 Nov 2026 or 8 Jan 2027 for September 2027 enrolment; Hiroshima: 29 Jan 2027 for October 2027 enrolment).
Funding at a glance
What it covers
Full tuition fee for the duration of the study programme (24 months).
Monthly living stipend for 24 months (at APU: 150,000 JPY/month including housing — amount subject to change).
Economy-class air travel from the home country to the host university at the start and back home at the end.
Health insurance, usually obtained through the university.
Additional 6 months for advance preparatory study or internships after graduation.
Special grant for research and thesis preparation (where applicable); preparatory language/computer courses in special circumstances.
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
Bachelor degree |for Masters
"This scholarship is offered for two-year Master's programmes in energy, agriculture, health, environmental sustainability and engineering at JADS partner Japanese universities."
Who can apply
applicants from regional member countries of the African Development Bank (54 African countries) with relevant educational and professional experience and a track record of supporting their countries' development efforts. Scholars must agree to return to their home country after completion to contribute to its economic and social development.
Experience
relevant professional experience expected (track record of supporting the country's development; APU requires employment certificates demonstrating at least two years of qualifying full-time professional experience after the bachelor's degree — per the APU/ADB-JSP application guidance)
Language Certificate
English proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS or equivalent) per the partner university's admission requirements; Japanese not required for English-taught programmes
Other Certificates
bachelor's degree certificate / certificate of graduation; academic transcripts; research proposal; CV
Age Limit
under 35 years of age (official APU/JADS eligibility)
Tools that may help
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Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
nationals of African Development Bank regional member countries (African countries) pass. Non-African nationalities fail.
2
Last degree checker
Choose your highest completed qualification to see which degree level may fit.
3
Course checker
Pick a course to see whether it falls inside this scholarship's scope.
Complete all three checks
Your combined result will appear here.
Based on published eligibility — always confirm on the official page before applying.
Application essentials
Requirements
Review each requirement before you begin the application.
01
Qualification
bachelor's degree; under 35 years of age.
02
Experience
relevant educational and professional experience with a track record of supporting the country's development; employment certificates required (at least two years of qualifying full-time professional experience after the bachelor's, per APU guidance).
03
Documents
research proposal (aligned with the AfDB High 5s), CV, academic transcripts, bachelor's degree certificate, employment certificates, passport/ID, English evidence.
04
Research proposal (essay)
prepare per the university's Graduate Application Handbook; strongly recommended to align with the AfDB's "High 5" indicators (Feed Africa; Light up and power Africa; Industrialize Africa; Integrate Africa; Improve quality of life).
05
Return commitment
agree to return to the home country to contribute to its economic and social development after completing the programme.
06
No duplicate funding
must inform the JADS Secretariat of any other sources of financial support; the stipend may be withdrawn wholly or partially if other support exists.
Document checklist
01Research proposal (aligned with the AfDB High 5s).
02Curriculum Vitae.
03Academic transcripts.
04Bachelor's degree certificate / certificate of graduation.
05Employment certificates (proof of professional experience).
06Passport / identification document.
07English language evidence (per university requirements).
08Health certificate and medical history (JICA/JADS format, after matching — per the ABE-style process).
Application fee
per the university's admission process (JADS covers the fee only if you are selected — per the Hiroshima JADS page: "The
Visa, kept concise: Visa type: Japan Student visa — apply at the Japanese diplomatic mission in your country with the Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) issued through the university; admitted students are responsible for the visa application cost (per the…
Application Procedure
10 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Choose a JADS partner Japanese university and
an eligible Master's programme (e.g. APU for September 2027 enrolment; Hiroshima University for October 2027 enrolment — IAAS).
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02
Start the university's online graduate admission application
and REQUEST consideration for JADS within it (no separate direct application to the AfDB at this stage).
→
03
Prepare documents: research proposal (aligned with the
AfDB High 5s), CV, academic transcripts, bachelor's degree certificate, employment certificates proving professional experience, passport/ID, English proficiency evidence. (Hiroshima additionally requires a faculty membe
↓
06
Research proposal (aligned with the AfDB High
5s).
←
05
The university reviews documents and recommends candidates (APU
mid-March for September enrolment) → final scholarship results decided by the AfDB-JADS (by end of June for September enrolment; by end of December for April enrolment).
←
04
Submit the complete university application by that
university's JADS deadline.
↓
07
Curriculum Vitae.
→
08
Academic transcripts.
→
09
Bachelor's degree certificate / certificate of graduation.
↓
10
Employment certificates (proof of professional experience).
Application milestones
8 Jan 2027
Application deadline
5 Nov 2026
Application deadline
2027
Intake year
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official partner Japanese universities platform.
Do I apply to the AfDB directly? A: No — request JADS consideration within the partner university's online application; the university reviews documents and recommends candidates to the AfDB-JADS.Can I apply for both April and September enrolment? A: AfDB-JADS accepts applications for both April and September enrolment (at APU); each has its own deadlines.When are results announced? A: Final scholarship award results are decided by AfDB-JADS by the end of June (September enrolment) or end of December (April enrolment); timing may shift.Is the application fee waived? A: No — the fee is not waived for any country; if you are selected for JADS, the fee will be covered by JADS (per Hiroshima JADS page).What fields are covered? A: Master's studies in energy, agriculture, health, environmental sustainability and engineering, aligned with the AfDB High 5s.Can I bring my family? A: The scholarship does not cover expenses to bring or support family members.What happens after graduation? A: An additional 6 months for advance preparatory study or internships after graduation is included; scholars are expected to return home and contribute to development.Can I hold another scholarship at the same time? A: JADS may only supplement, not duplicate, other financial support — you must disclose any other support, and the stipend may be withdrawn if it dupli
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Japan · partner Japanese universities