Japan Government-Royal Government of Bhutan MEXT Scholarship 2026 (Fully Funded)

The Royal Government of Bhutan's Ministry of Health has announced an incredible opportunity for its civil servants. In collaboration with the Japanese Government (MEXT), the Young Leaders’ Program (YLP) 2026 offers a fully-funded scholarship for a Master of Healthcare Administration degree at the prestigious Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine. This program is designed to develop the next generation of leaders in Bhutan's health sector.

The MEXT Scholarship under the Young Leaders' Program is a comprehensive award that typically covers:

• Full tuition fees.
• A monthly stipend for living expenses.
• Round-trip airfare to Japan.
• Allowances for preparatory studies and other academic costs.

• Master's

• Healthcare Administration

This scholarship is only open to international students from Bhutan.

To be eligible for this prestigious scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Nationality & Employment: Must be a Bhutanese citizen and a current employee under the Ministry of Health or National Medical Services.
• BCSR Compliance: Must fulfill all conditions under Section 7.7.4 of the Bhutan Civil Service Rules (BCSR) 2023.
• Academic Qualification: Must hold a bachelor’s degree and have entered civil service either at the time of degree completion or through the Bhutan Civil Service Examination (BCSE).
• Service Record: Must have a clean service record.
• Age Limit: Must be under 40 years old as of October 1, 2026 (born on or after October 2, 1986).
• English Proficiency: Must have a minimum IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 or a TOEFL-iBT score of 80 or equivalent.

Application Process and Required Documents

• The application deadline is September 27, 2025, before 5:00 PM.
• Interested candidates must submit their applications. (form is available here)

Required documents include:

• No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the HRC of NMS/Working Agency.
• Degree Certificate and Academic Transcripts.
• Individual Achievement Certificates (e.g., voluntarism, research publications, awards).
• A copy of a valid Bhutanese Citizenship Identity Card.
• System-generated CV and IWP ratings from ZESt (applicants must verify this information on the ZESt portal).

Selection Procedure

The selection is a rigorous, multi-stage process:

• Ministry Shortlisting: Based on merit and HR Manual 2023 guidelines.
• University Screening: Host university (Nagoya) reviews application documents.
• Interview: Conducted by faculty members from the host university.
• Primary Selection: Based on combined scores from document screening and interview.
• Final Selection: Made by the YLP committee established by MEXT.