East-West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship (Hawaii, USA)

The East-West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship funds master’s and doctoral students from across Asia, the Pacific and the United States to study at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa while living and learning together at the East-West Center in Honolulu. The award covers full tuition and fees, residence-hall housing and a partial stipend, a package worth about USD 22,000 per year.

Beyond funding, fellows join a genuine leadership program with seminars, service projects and a network spanning more than 60 countries, including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, the ASEAN states and the Pacific islands. Applications for the Fall 2027 cohort close December 1, 2026, with supporting documents due by January 10, 2027.

• Citizens or permanent residents of the United States, or citizens of countries across Asia and the Pacific, including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan, the ASEAN states, China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia and the Pacific island nations.
• Applying for (or already enrolled in) a classified master's or doctoral programme at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.
• Four-year bachelor's degree (or equivalent) completed before the award starts, from a recognized institution.
• English proficiency for UH admission: minimum TOEFL 79, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 95 where required.
• Priority goes to applicants with a demonstrated commitment to the Asia-Pacific region and to fields relevant to the East-West Center's mission.
• Fellows live in EWC residence halls (single fellows and couples without children) and take part in the residential leadership programme, so willingness to join community life is essential.
• Non-US fellows attend on a J-1 exchange visitor visa.

• Full-time graduate tuition and fees at UH Mānoa for the academic year, paid at the general graduate rate.
• Housing in an East-West Center residence hall plus a stipend that partially covers food and incidentals; total value around USD 22,000 per year, with need-based supplements possible.
• Renewable for a second academic year subject to funding and satisfactory progress, up to about 20 months in total.
• A genuine leadership programme: the Community Building Institute in August, seminars, service projects and a network across 60+ countries.
• All GDF applicants are automatically considered for extra EWC alumni and foundation scholarships, and competitive field-study and conference travel grants run during the award.
• Permission to work limited hours on campus can top up living funds.

• Online East-West Center fellowship application (portal opens in early August, closes December 1 at 11:59 PM Hawai'i time).
• Curriculum vitae or resume.
• UH Mānoa application acknowledgment (screenshot or PDF) if you are applying to the university simultaneously.
• Passport biodata page for international applicants.
• Official transcripts from every college or university attended, submitted per the GDF handbook instructions.
• Official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo score sent by the testing agency where English proof is required.
• UH statement of objectives and any departmental items (references, GRE where a department requires it) completed by the January 10 documents deadline.

• Choose your UH Mānoa graduate programme early and confirm its departmental requirements, since some need GRE scores or writing samples.
• Submit the UH Mānoa admission application by December 1, 2026 (the university's portal opens August 1) and keep the acknowledgment it generates.
• Submit the separate East-West Center fellowship application by December 1, 2026, uploading the acknowledgment, CV and passport page.
• Complete every remaining UH admissions and departmental document by January 10, 2027, even if the department's own deadline is later; missing this removes you from the fellowship pool.
• Interview or additional review may follow; awards for the fall 2027 intake are announced in spring.
• New fellows arrive in early-to-mid August for the mandatory Community Building Institute before classes start.