World Bank Scholarships Program

The Joint Japan/World Bank Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) began in 1987 as part of a special Japanese initiative to strengthen human resources in developing countries. It was set up by the government of Japan in partnership with the World Bank. 

Japan's commitment to invest in human resources in developing countries is rooted in its own experiences after World War II. The country's startling postwar economic growth and its fundamental transformation from World Bank recipient to major World Bank donor were grounded in the rapid growth of its broad human resource base. This distinct development pathway has led Japan in its desire to support the poorest countries in their endeavors to enhance the expertise and skill levels of aspiring practitioners and leaders, to contribute to policy reform for economic growth and social development. 

The eighth Tracer Study focuses on several main points historically seen to be crucial to the success of the program, namely: a) Are recipients completing their degrees? b) Are recipients returning to their home country or another developing country? c) Are recipients securing employment in institutions and sectors that afford them

opportunities to contribute to the development of their countries? d) Are recipients applying and sharing their newly-acquired knowledge on the ground? It is encouraging and gratifying to note that this study demonstrates that the program is achieving its mission. An overwhelming majority of scholars have attained their degree, returned to developing countries, and gained employment in strategic positions to lead and influence public policy, with positive impacts on the lives of thousands, if not millions, of people.

The year 2007 marks the JJ/WBGSP's 20 years of investing in human capital in developing countries.

The booklet "Twenty Years of Investing in Human Capital: Celebrating our Alumni" highlights some of the program's alumni who have made remarkable career progress after completing their study under the JJ/WBGSP and who are making significant contributions to the development of their home countries.

Each profile is unique, yet each and every one of them assures us that the scholarships provided jointly by the government of Japan and the World Bank have been bringing about positive effects on development through human capacity building.

Twenty Years of Investing in Human Capital: Celebrating our Alumni (in Japanese) 

The first section introduces the alumni with diverse backgrounds who now occupy high positions in various institutions in their countries; the second part introduces the six alumni who, at the regional conferences held in May 2006 in Nairobi and Hanoi, received awards for the outstanding research they carried out under the JJ/WBGSP.

The booklet has been published and presented at JJ/WBGSP Tokyo Conference on June 6, 2007 in two languages: English and Japanese.

In 2005, the JJ/WBGSP launched the Scaling-Up Program as a better means for leveraging knowledge acquired by the sponsored scholars and to foster a network of development practitioners, including JJ/WBGSP scholars and alumni. During its first year of activity, the Scaling-Up Program held two regional conferences, in Kenyaand in Vietnam, where it provided an opportunity for alumni to hear outstanding papers presented by the scholars, and to network, share knowledge, and discuss current development issues in the presence of the World Bank staff, Japanese government representatives, and academic institutions. The publication "Awarded Theses 2006" includes six selected papers awarded at the above mentioned two regional conferences. Awarded Theses 2007 To date, the Scaling-Up Program has held four regional conferences that gave alumni opportunities to hear outstanding papers presented by the scholars; and to network, share knowledge, and discuss current development issues in the presence of the World Bank staff and Japanese government representatives. Two successful regional conferences were held during fiscal year 2007—one in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in March 2007 and one in Tokyo, Japan, in June of that year. The conference in Tokyo where its graduates and some 150 distinguished guests from around the world gathered at Keio University marked 20th anniversary of the JJ/WBGSP. Many successful scholarship recipients shared testimonials regarding their experiences in the study program. The publication "Awarded Theses 2007" includes six theses presented and awarded in Dar es Salaam and Tokyo.