ADB-Japan Scholarship 2027 — AIT, Thailand
Fully funded Master scholarship in Thailand for ADB developing member countries students 2027
The ADB-Japan Scholarship Program funds about 130 graduate places a year across Asia and the Pacific, and the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand is one of its designated institutions. Afghanistan and Pakistan are eligible; the next deadline is 31 March 2027.
Eligibility
- Be a national of an ADB borrowing member country that is also eligible for Japanese ODA scholarships — the list includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Indonesia and others
- Not hold dual citizenship of any developed country
- Have gained admission to an approved master's course at a designated institution
- Hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent with a superior academic record
- Have at least two years of full-time professional work experience acquired after a university degree
- Be proficient in oral and written English
- Be no more than 35 years old at the time of application, unless waived with the express endorsement of the Government of Japan
- Not be living or working in a country other than your home country
- Not already be enrolled in a graduate degree programme
- Agree to return and work in your home country for at least two years after completing the degree
The Asian Institute of Technology sits just outside Bangkok and teaches entirely in English, which is why it has been the default engineering master's in Asia for students who need a funded place without a European visa queue. It is also one of the designated institutions of the ADB-Japan Scholarship Program — the scheme that turns that practical appeal into a fully funded one.
WHAT THE SCHOLARSHIP COVERS
The ADB-Japan Scholarship Program offers about 130 graduate scholarships a year, financed by the Government of Japan, for studies in economics, business and management, science and technology, and other development-related fields. Across its designated institutions it enrols roughly 250 students annually.
A scholarship provides full tuition fees, a monthly subsistence allowance that includes housing, books and instructional materials, medical insurance and travel expenses. For scholars engaged in research, a special grant may be available for thesis preparation.
The award carries an obligation that is not decorative: you agree to return and work in your home country for at least two years after finishing, so that the training is applied where it was intended. If you are planning to settle abroad after graduation, this is the wrong programme for you, and the selection panels ask the question directly.
WHO CAN APPLY — AND THE SELF-CHECK THAT MATTERS
Eligibility here is unusually precise, and most applications fail on the details rather than the grades. The scheme is open to nationals of ADB borrowing member countries that are also Japanese ODA scholarship-eligible — Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Indonesia and others are on the list.
Work through these questions before you spend money on transcripts:
Is your nationality on the eligible list, and do you hold only that citizenship? Dual citizenship with a developed country disqualifies you.
Have you already earned at least two years of full-time professional experience after your university degree? This is not a preference; it is a requirement, and internships do not count.
Are you no more than 35 years old at the time of application? Older applicants can be considered only in exceptional cases with the express endorsement of the Government of Japan.
Are you currently living and working in your home country? The scheme excludes applicants living or working elsewhere — a rule that matters a great deal to Afghans based in Pakistan, Iran or Türkiye, and it is worth reading twice before you spend weeks on the file.
Do you already hold a place, or at least a live application, for an approved master's course at the Asian Institute of Technology? Admission is a precondition, not a parallel process.
Are you sure you are not already enrolled in another graduate degree programme?
THE DEADLINE
The ADB-Japan Scholarship deadline at AIT for the August intake is 31 March, which for the 2027 intake falls on 31 March 2027. Applications are not open yet, but the window is close enough to plan against now.
Notice what that date implies. Because admission to an approved AIT master's course is itself a requirement, and because the ADB does not process applications directly, your real work has to start months earlier. Secure AIT admission, then attach the scholarship file to it.
AIT runs more than one intake, and other scholarships on the same page have different dates, so check the deadline for the specific funding line you are applying under rather than the general admission calendar.
HOW TO APPLY, AND WHAT TO HAVE READY
You apply to the institution, not to the ADB. Request the information and application forms from the Asian Institute of Technology, then send the complete file — including the ADB-Japan Scholarship Program information sheet — to the university. AIT shortlists, and the Asian Development Bank makes the final selection with the Japanese executive director.
https://ait.ac.th/apply-online/
Your materials checklist:
The completed AIT admission application for an approved master's programme. The ADB-Japan Scholarship Program information sheet, which is a separate document from the university application. A bachelor's degree certificate and transcripts, certified. Evidence of at least two years of full-time professional experience. Two academic or professional references. Proof of English proficiency, in whatever form the university accepts. A passport copy showing the eligible nationality. A short statement explaining the development problem you intend to work on and what you will do with the degree at home.
Not sure your file is competitive? Take it to an OEAC advisor before you submit — a second reader on the research proposal is usually the difference between shortlisted and rejected.
OTHER FULLY FUNDED ROUTES IN ASIA
Singapore's SINGA award is the region's cleanest fully funded doctorate:
https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=47
Japan's MEXT scholarship through the University of Tokyo is a longer, slower alternative:
https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=33
And MBZUAI in the UAE covers a full master's or PhD in artificial intelligence:
https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=22
COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID
Applying without AIT admission in hand. The scholarship attaches to an approved place, so the admission file is the real first step.
Sending the scholarship file to the ADB. The ADB does not accept applications; the designated institution does.
Counting internships or part-time teaching as the two years of professional experience. It has to be full-time and post-degree.
Overlooking the residence rule. Applicants living or working outside their home country are excluded, which ends a lot of otherwise strong files.
Missing the age limit of 35 and assuming a waiver will follow. Waivers exist but require the Government of Japan to endorse them.
Source — Asian Development Bank, ADB-Japan Scholarship Program: https://www.adb.org/work-with-us/careers/japan-scholarship-program
Photo: Seksan Phonsuwan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asian_Institute_of_Technology_19.jpg)
Last updated: 17 October 2026
Always confirm the deadline and eligibility on the official page before you apply. Scholarship dates change between rounds, and this listing is a summary — the provider's own page is the authoritative source. OEAC Network lists scholarships for free and is not an agent for any university or funding body.
