Fully Funded Masters in Urban Planning 2026: University of Hong Kong ADB Scholarship (Tuition, Monthly Stipend, Airfare)

If you are eyeing a one-year professional masters that pays you to study rather than the other way around, this is one of those rare scholarships that actually lets you breathe while you learn. The University of Hong Kong (HKU), in partnership with the Asian Development Bank Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP), is accepting applications for the 2026 intake of the ADB Scholarship — a fully funded award for the Master of Science in Urban Planning. That means tuition paid, a monthly living allowance, housing support, travel, medical insurance, and a book allowance. In short: the financial friction that prevents many talented candidates from studying abroad is removed.

This scholarship targets mid-career professionals from ADB member countries who are committed to returning home and applying their new skills to development work. If you have a bachelor’s degree, at least two years of full-time work experience, and a clear plan to use urban planning expertise to improve cities, coasts, or rural settlements in your country, keep reading. The application windows are tight — the HKU admission deadline and ADB scholarship deadline fall in January 2026 — so you’ll want to get organized early.

Below you’ll find everything you need to decide whether to apply, how to prepare a standout application, and the step-by-step actions that will get your file across the finish line. Expect practical tips, realistic timelines, and honest advice about what the selection committee looks for.

At a Glance

What This Opportunity Offers

This award is not a modest stipend that barely covers ramen. The ADB Scholarship through HKU is designed to remove financial barriers so recipients can concentrate on learning and applying advanced planning techniques. The package covers full tuition, which for an international one-year masters in a major city would normally be a significant expense. Beyond tuition, recipients receive a monthly subsistence allowance to cover living costs in Hong Kong, plus an explicit housing allowance — critical in a city where rent is one of the highest in the world.

You also get an allowance for books and instructional materials, so you won’t be forced to choose between textbooks and groceries. Medical insurance is included, which is especially important for students traveling from abroad. And the scholarship provides airfare to and from Hong Kong, meaning travel logistics and costs are handled. For many applicants, this combination transforms a high-cost program into a realistic, low-risk career investment.

Beyond money, the award signals professional credibility. ADB-JSP scholars join a diverse alumni network of development practitioners, a resource you’ll start to tap into during fieldwork, internships, and after graduation. HKU’s Urban Planning program emphasizes applied skills — data-driven planning, stakeholder engagement, spatial analysis, and policy design — that are directly transferable to public agencies, consultancies, and NGOs back home. If your goal is to influence urban policy or design better, more equitable cities, this scholarship gives you both the tools and the time to do so.

Who Should Apply

This scholarship is aimed at nationals of ADB member countries who already have professional experience and a clear development focus. It is not a program built for fresh graduates with no work history; rather, it rewards people who have demonstrated commitment to public service or development practice and want to upgrade their technical and policy skills.

Imagine three typical candidates. First, a mid-level city planner from a provincial government who has managed housing projects but lacks formal training in participatory planning and GIS-based analysis. Second, an environmental officer at a national ministry who needs urban planning skills to integrate climate resilience into city-level plans. Third, a consultant working on informal settlement upgrades who wants a credential and tools to scale interventions. All three would be competitive because they can show how a one-year masters at HKU will translate into concrete development outcomes back home.

Eligibility hinges on nationality (must be from an ADB member and Japanese ODA-eligible country), a bachelor’s degree, and at least two years of full-time professional experience. Applicants must be 35 or younger at the time of application and must agree to return to their home country to work for at least two years after graduation. These obligations ensure that the investment benefits the scholar’s home country. If your CV shows leadership, measurable results, and a plausible two-year post-graduation work plan, you should apply.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application

Apply strategically. Many applicants include standard descriptions of duties; the winners detail results. When you describe past work, pair activities with measurable outcomes. For example, don’t just say you “participated in a housing project.” Say you “co-managed a slum upgrading project that secured legal tenure for 2,500 households and reduced flooding incidents by 30% through drainage redesign.” Numbers and specific outcomes are persuasive.

Craft a focused research and study plan. The ADB wants graduates who will return home and implement tangible improvements. Your Field of Study and Research Plan should connect HKU coursework to a clear project you’ll tackle after graduation — a policy reform, a pilot neighborhood intervention, or a municipal service redesign. Show a logical chain: skills you will acquire at HKU → specific tasks you will perform upon return → expected improvements (e.g., better service coverage, reduced risk, cost savings).

Don’t underplay your experience. Two years of work is the minimum. If you have more, explain how that additional experience matured your perspective. If you’re in a sector where measurable outcomes are rare (e.g., advocacy or coordination roles), use client references or performance indicators to quantify impact.

Get strong, specific recommendation letters. Generic praise won’t move the needle. Ask referees who can speak to your technical competence, leadership potential, and commitment to returning home. Provide your recommenders with a one-page brief that outlines what you want them to emphasize and a draft of your study plan so they can align their letters with your narrative.

Start early on documentation. Official transcripts, degree certificates, and letters can take weeks to secure, especially if they require notarization or English translations. Factor in institutional processing times and postal delays. For the HKU application, you’ll need to meet the university’s admission requirements before the ADB scholarship deadline — so don’t wait.

Tell a single, consistent story across documents. Your personal statement, research plan, CV, and recommendation letters should reinforce the same career trajectory. Inconsistencies — different dates, slightly varied job titles, or conflicting goals — raise doubts.

Practice crisp writing. Reviewers read hundreds of applications. Use plain language, short paragraphs, and active verbs. If a sentence needs three lines, edit it to one. Clarity increases perceived competence.

Application Timeline (Realistic, Backwards from Deadlines)

January 30, 2026: ADB Scholarship online submission must be complete.

January 2, 2026: HKU admission application deadline for the Urban Planning MSc.

Late December 2025: Finalize all documents, secure signatures, and have referees upload letters. Submit HKU application at least one week before its deadline to allow corrections.

November–December 2025: Draft your Field of Study and Research Plan, personal statement, and CV. Request official transcripts and degree certificates. Secure recommender commitments and provide them with your one-page brief.

October 2025: Confirm eligibility (nationality list, age, work experience). Contact HR or supervisor for official employment verification if needed. Begin language proficiency preparations if required.

August–September 2025: Attend virtual information sessions or reach out to HKU program staff with specific questions. Map out your post-graduation two-year plan — where you will work and how the degree will be used. Start collecting documents that might take time (police checks, medical clearances).

This timeline gives you breathing space. The biggest delay applicants face is document procurement and referee turnaround. Aim to finish drafts early so you can iterate and get feedback.

Required Materials (What to Prepare and How to Present It)

Prepare to submit a complete HKU admission application and the ADB scholarship form. Required documents typically include:

• Online Application Form (HKU)
• ADB Scholarship Application Form (the ADB-specific form)
• A Field of Study and Research Plan that explains the scope and aims of your intended study and its relevance to development in your country
• Official academic transcripts from your undergraduate institution
• Official certificate of graduation or degree
• Two recommendation letters that address your work performance, potential, and post-study commitment
• Proof of at least two years of professional full-time experience (employment letters, contracts, or payslips)
• Passport copy showing nationality
• Any English language test scores if required by HKU
• Medical insurance details and other health documentation as requested

Quality matters. Your research plan should be typed, well-structured, and free of jargon. Your transcripts and certificates should be legible and, where necessary, translated into English by an accredited translator. For recommendation letters, provide referees with a short summary of your achievements and a clear submission deadline to reduce delays.

What Makes an Application Stand Out

Selection panels want evidence of immediate, practical impact. Applications that stand out demonstrate a tight connection between the HKU curriculum and real-world tasks the candidate will perform post-graduation. Reviewers favor applicants who show they will use specific HKU courses or methods — GIS, housing policy, participatory planning — to address a named problem in a named place.

Strong applications also show leadership potential. That doesn’t mean you need a managerial title. Leadership can be demonstrated through initiating a successful pilot project, coordinating diverse stakeholders, or introducing process improvements that were adopted by an agency. The panel looks for signs that the candidate will be an influencer, not just a technician.

Clarity about the post-study obligation is critical. The scholarship requires recipients to return and work in their home country for at least two years. Spell out an employer, a realistic role, or a partnership that will absorb you after graduation. If you plan to return to a government agency, include a letter of intent or support. If you plan to start a project, provide a realistic business or project plan.

Finally, coherence across documents separates the good from the great. If your CV, research plan, and letters align and reinforce a single professional trajectory, reviewers will trust your application.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (And How to Fix Them)

Mistake 1: Waiting until the last week to assemble documents. Fix it by creating a document checklist and setting internal deadlines two weeks earlier than the official dates.

Mistake 2: Submitting vague or overly academic research plans. The ADB scholarship is development-focused. Recast theoretical ideas as applied projects with measurable outcomes and implementation pathways.

Mistake 3: Weak recommendation letters that read like templates. Choose referees who know your work closely and brief them with specific examples you’d like referenced. Offer to draft bullet points to make the task easier for them.

Mistake 4: Ignoring post-graduation obligations. If you don’t show how you will return and work for two years, the committee may question your commitment. Secure a written statement from an employer or outline a credible plan with timelines and roles.

Mistake 5: Overuse of jargon and acronyms. Keep language plain. Assume the reviewer is intelligent but not necessarily an expert in your country’s administrative structures.

Mistake 6: Inconsistent dates or titles across documents. Cross-check every form, CV entry, and letter for identical job titles and dates. Inconsistencies cause unnecessary doubts and delays.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who pays for the scholarship and who manages selection? A: The Asian Development Bank Japan Scholarship Program funds the award while HKU administers the program for its admitted students. You must be accepted by HKU and then apply for ADB scholarship funding.

Q: Can I apply if I’m older than 35? A: The standard ADB-JSP eligibility includes an age limit of 35. If you are older, check with HKU and the ADB office for possible exceptions, but don’t assume flexibility.

Q: Do I need to commit to a specific employer before applying? A: Not necessarily, but having a letter of support or a concrete plan to return to a job that uses your new skills strengthens your application significantly.

Q: What kinds of development fields are eligible? A: The ADB scholarship supports studies in development-related fields including, but not limited to, economics, management, science and technology, and urban planning. HKU’s ADB slot is specifically for its MSc in Urban Planning.

Q: Are there language requirements? A: HKU may require English proficiency proof. If you haven’t already met HKU’s language thresholds, arrange to take required tests well before the application deadlines.

Q: If I’m shortlisted, will I be interviewed? A: Some candidates may be invited for interviews or asked to provide further documentation. Prepare succinct talking points about your career goals, past results, and post-study plans.

Q: Can I apply to other programs while applying for ADB scholarship? A: You can apply to other programs, but ensure that you meet HKU’s admission deadline and understand that the ADB scholarship requires acceptance into the approved master’s course.

How to Apply

Start by applying for admission to the Master of Science in Urban Planning at the University of Hong Kong before the HKU deadline of 2 January 2026. Once you have completed your HKU application, submit the ADB-JSP scholarship form online by 30 January 2026. Don’t miss the sequencing: you must gain admission to the approved HKU program to be considered for ADB funding.

Before you click submit, perform this final checklist: verify your nationality against the ADB eligible countries list, confirm you have at least two years’ full-time professional experience documented, ensure your recommendation letters are uploaded, and double-check that your Field of Study and Research Plan concretely links HKU coursework to a post-graduation development activity in your home country.

Ready to take the next step? Visit the official program page and follow the application instructions: https://scholar.aas.hku.hk/?action=showonesscheme&ss_id=417

Good luck — if you prepare carefully and tell a tight, evidence-backed story about how your training at HKU will deliver measurable development results back home, you stand a strong chance.