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IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (OAP)
Scholarships

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About the Programs

The IMF, in cooperation with the governments of Australia and Japan, has been administering IMF Scholarship Programs for Asia since the 1990s. The objective of the programs is to enhance the financial and economic policymaking capacity of governments in Asia and the Pacific to promote high-quality and sustainable growth in the region.

The Australia-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia and the Japan-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia provide scholarships for promising junior government officials with potential for becoming future policymakers in their countries and who want to study macroeconomics or a related field at the master's level in Australia or Japan. The programs target applicants from transition countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the Pacific and Indian Ocean island nations, and countries in the regions hard-hit by the Asian crisis.

Australia-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia

The Australia program targets junior government officials seeking a graduate certificate, graduate diploma, or master's degree in international and development economics at the Asia Pacific School of Economics and Government (APSEG), the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia.

Nationals from the following five countries are eligible to apply: Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Mongolia, and Vietnam.

Candidates must be nominated by a senior government official from their country's ministry of finance, economy, central bank, or equivalent agency.

Admission requirements include a bachelor's degree from a reputable university and an outstanding academic record, appropriate work experience, and proven proficiency in English. Candidates must also pass a mathematics/statistics test, administered to those who have been successful in the initial prescreening stage.

The academic year in Australia begins in early January. The program covers the cost of program tuition, roundtrip airfare, a monthly stipend to cover housing and subsistence costs, medical insurance, and other scholar expenses (all subject to conditions).

For further information on the Australia program and to obtain an application, contact the IMF resident representative offices in the relevant countries, or:

Scholarship Program
IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
21 Fl., Fukoku-Seimei Building
2-2-2 Uchisaiwai-cho
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0011
JAPAN

Tel.: +81 3 3597-6708
Fax: +81 3 3597-6705
e-mail: jisais@imf.org

For Cambodia and Lao PDR officials, the application deadline for the 2008 academic year is January 24, 2007 (Closed). Officials from these countries can find more information and an application form in the 2008 Australia-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia brochure for Cambodia and Lao PDR.

For China, Mongolia, and Vietnam officials, the application deadline for the 2008 academic year is March 30, 2007 (Closed). Officials from these countries can find more information and an application form in the 2008 Australia-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia brochure for China, Mongolia, and Vietnam.

Japan-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia

This program concentrates on graduate-level study in macroeconomics or a related field.

Nationals from any of the following countries are eligible to apply: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Pacific Island Countries. Nationals of other countries in the region may also be considered on a case-by-case basis. If you are not sure whether you are eligible to apply, please contact the IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (see address below).

Candidates must be nominated by a senior government official from their country's ministry of finance, economy, central bank, or equivalent agency.

Admission requirements include a bachelor's degree from a reputable university and an outstanding academic record, appropriate work experience, and proven proficiency in English. Candidates must also pass a mathematics/statistics test, administered to those who have been successful in the initial prescreening stage.

The program offers a full scholarship for one academic year covering cost of tuition, roundtrip airfare (subject to conditions), a monthly stipend to cover housing and subsistence costs, medical insurance, and other scholar expenses.

The partnership track

There are about 40 scholarships available under the partnership track of the program, held at four partner universities: Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Hitotsubashi University, International University of Japan, and Yokohama National University.

These universities offer a specially tailored course for Japan-IMF scholars in English. Degrees awarded are: Master of Policy Studies, Master of Public Policy, Master of International Development, and Master of Business Administration (Transition Economy Course).

The deadline for partnership track applications is December 14, 2007, for the 2008-2009 academic year (Closed). Courses begin in September/October. Applications must include an essay describing what the applicant hopes to gain from the program, a research proposal, and reference letters. For more information, including an application form, see the Japan-IMF Scholarship Program For Asia brochure (1.5MB pdf file).

The open track

The open track of the program is available to candidates who have already been accepted to a graduate-level program in macroeconomics or a related field at any leading university in Japan. The program can be either in English or Japanese, but must include a thesis component. Doctoral candidates may also be considered.

There is no fixed limit on new scholarships for the open track, but they are generally a small number. Applications are reviewed and awarded on a rolling basis throughout the year. So while there is no specific application deadline, applicants should apply as early in the calendar year as possible, when there are still scholarships available. Applications must be submitted together with a letter of admission from the university. In Japan, the academic year usually starts in April.

For further information on the Japan program and to obtain an application, contact the IMF resident representative offices in the relevant countries, or contact:

Scholarship Program
IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
21 Fl., Fukoku-Seimei Building
2-2-2 Uchisaiwai-cho
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0011
JAPAN

Tel.: +81 3 3597-6708
Fax: +81 3 3597-6705
e-mail: jisais@imf.org

In order to obtain information on the Japan-IMF Scholarship Program for Advanced Studies, please visit the website of the IMF Institute at http://www.imf.org/external/np/ins/english/scholar.htm.