UNESCO / Government of Japan Opportunities

The 2026 UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi programme offers 10 fellowships for postgraduate research in Japan. Each fellowship may provide up to US$10,000 for eligible costs such as approved travel, accommodation, medical insurance, subsistence and research-related expenses. Research stays last 3–9 months, begin from February 2027 onward and must finish by December 2027. Applications are routed through the applicant’s National Commission for UNESCO; direct, non-nominated applications are not accepted.

Applicants must be nationals of an invited country, and Côte d’Ivoire is explicitly listed. Applicants must be no more than 40 years old at application, hold at least a Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field, have sufficient language proficiency for the proposed host institution, and secure acceptance from an academic supervisor at a Japanese university or research institution. UNESCO instructs candidates to submit to their National Commission at least two weeks before the UNESCO deadline and to follow any national procedures or earlier cutoff.