ADB-KFP Scholarship

Asian Development Bank-Korea Fellowship Program

Launched in 2025, the ADB-Korea Fellowship Program (KFP)—established through a partnership between the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of the Republic of Korea (represented by the Ministry of Economy and Finance)—provides government officials from ADB’s developing member countries (DMCs) with the opportunity to pursue Master’s degree programs in fields critical to public sector capacity building.

ADB-Korea Fellowship Program (KFP) aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of governments in developing countries by equipping officials with advanced knowledge and skills and applying their expertise to drive national development and policy reforms.

◎ Program Title: 2026 ADB-Korea Fellowship Program

◎ Degree: Master of Public Administration (MPA)

◎ Duration: September 1, 2026 ~ December 31, 2027 (16 months)

◎ Number of Participants: 10 government officials from ADB’s developing member countries (DMCs)

◎ 17-month Master’s degree program, including online preliminary courses

◎ Application Timeline (in Korean Standard Time)

1)  ADB Admissions Information Session: February 12 (Thurs.) 16:00, 2026

• Those who are interested in the ADB Admissions Information Session are encouraged to attend via the link below on the specified date and time. 

• For questions regarding other programs, please refer to the Seoul National University website or the GMPA website.

2)  Application submission:  March 3 (Tue.) ~ March 23 (Mon.) by 16:00(KST), 2026

3)  Essay Test and Interview: April 13 (Mon.) ~ April 15 (Wed.), 2026

• Only those applicants who successfully pass the document review will be invited to participate in an essay test and an online interview.

◎ Required Application Documents

* The application documents must be submitted as a single scanned file to the GMPA Office by March 13 (Fri.) at 14:00 (in KST) via email at snugmpa@gmail.com

1)  [SNU Form 1] Application for Admission

2)  [SNU Form 2] Personal Statement and Study Plan

3)  [SNU Form 3] TWO Letter of Recommendation

4)  Certificate of English Score★: TOEFL iBT 80, IELTS 6.0, or TEPS 269

5)  Bachelor's Graduation Certificate (or Diploma) ★

6)  Bachelor's Degree Transcript (in English) ★

   ★ Documents 4), 5) & 6
When applying, scan and submit a scanned copy of the transcript.
The original document must be submitted after final acceptance, with an apostille or verification from the Korean consulate for applicants who graduated from overseas.

7)  Applicant's Proof of Citizenship:
* Submit a copy of your passport that is within the validity period.

8)  Parent(s)’ Proof of Citizenship (Required for both parents):
* Submit a copy of the parent(s)’ passport within the validity period.

9)  Proof of relationship between the applicant and parents:
* Submit the applicant's birth certificate or family relation certificate, which verifies both the applicant's and the parents' names.

10)  Resume
* Please send the documents 1) to 6) and 10) above FIRST for a document review:
    SNU Form 1~SNU Form 3, Bachelor’s Graduation Certificate and Transcript, and Resume.

◎  Applicant Eligibility

The candidate must:

  a. be a national of an eligible country (as notified by ADB to the Designated Institutions) with no borrowing constraints imposed by ADB’s Board of Directors or the Government of Korea;

  b. not hold dual citizenship of any country which is not an ADB developing member country (DMC);

  c. have gained admission to an approved master’s course at a Designated Institution;

  d. hold a bachelor's degree or its equivalent with a superior academic record;
※Note: The Designated Institution will determine the equivalent of the bachelor's degree in consultation with ADB.

  e. have at least three (3) years of full-time working experience as a government official (acquired after a university degree) at the time of application. The candidate must have proficiency in oral and written English communication skills to be able to pursue studies;

  f. not be more than thirty-five (35) years old at the time of application, unless waived in exceptional cases with the expressed endorsement of the GOK;

  g. be in good health;

  h. agree to return and work in his/her home country for at least two (2) years after completion of studies under the  Program to contribute to its development;

   i. not be an executive director, alternate director, management, staff and consultant of ADB, or be a close relative of the aforementioned by blood or adoption, with the term "close relative" defined as: spouse, mother, stepmother, father, stepfather, sister, stepsister, brother, stepbrother, son, daughter, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew;

   j. not be staff of a Designated Institution;

  k. not be living or working in a country other than their home country; and

   l. not be already enrolled in graduate degree programs.

◎ Scholarship Selection Criteria

  a. Selection of awardees will be based on the ranking and order of merit proposed by the Designated Institutions as set out in paragraph 12 below.

  b. Preference to women candidates.

  c. The Program will, in principle, not support applicants who have previously studied abroad.

      ※Note: If a degree was obtained in a borrowing member country of ADB, Designated Institutions are encouraged to consult with ADB.

  d. The Program will, in principle, not support applicants pursuing a second master’s degree.

  e. Diversity of nationalities in the overall program and at each Designated Institution level will be considered.

  f. Preference will be given to candidates with higher potential to occupy senior positions in development-related work and who have demonstrated
professional interest and desire to contribute to development in their governments.

  g. Proposed fields of study should be closely linked to the candidate’s academic background and professional experience, which each Designated Institution will determine.

  h. Designated Institutions, in consultation with the ADB and taking into account ADB’s operational priority areas and the GOK’s official development assistance policy, will identify the relevant fields of study among their respective offerings and ensure, through the call for applications and their respective screening procedures, that only candidates in the relevant fields of study will be nominated for scholarship awards.

Attachment: 1. ADB-Korea Fellowship Program Information

     2. SNU Application Forms

1. ADB-Korea Fellowship Program Information

2. SNU Application Forms:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13RtmUn5KgtFPJj4tYVQFQY1GvG_Yd5gS/view?usp=drive_link