Japan announces Rs505.6m for HRD scholarship in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Japan on Thursday announced grant aid worth around 318 million Japanese Yen (around 3 million US dollars and Rs505.6 million) for the Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) programme in Pakistan.

Matsuda Kuninori, Ambassador of Japan in Pakistan, and Noor Ahmed, Secretary of Ministry of Economic Affairs, signed the Exchange of Notes (E/N) on this programme. The Grant Agreement (G/A) for the aforementioned programme was also signed between Rahman Shah, Deputy Secretary of Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Furuta Shigeki, Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Pakistan Office.

The JDS is designed to support social and economic development of the country by providing government officials an opportunity to obtain master’s or doctoral degree in Japan in order to strengthen the administrative capacity of officials. The participants of JDS programme who are involved in formulation and implementation of policies are expected to learn in partner universities in Japan and acquire knowledge of their specialties as well as the know-hows of how Japan became a country as it is today.

As JDS in Pakistan was started from 2018 and has four batches in consecutive four years, Pakistan is experiencing the third batch of the programme this year. For the third batch, the maximum number of the slots for JDS participants in Pakistan are 18 for Master’s degree and two for doctoral degree.

Mr Furuta Shigeki mentioned, "This program will provide young and promising government officials with significant opportunity to study and obtain master’s or PhD degrees in universities in Japan. Those who attend this programme are anticipated to play leading roles of the government in the future in formulating and implementing social and economic policies for the development of Pakistan. Japan is a unique country with a history of building a liberal nation with advancement in socio-economy and technology from scratch after the World War II. I am quite sure that the JDS fellows will gain public administrative capacity together with wider and deeper knowledge and broad human networks through this programme. "

Matsuda Kuninori noted that "JDS scholarship is expected to contribute to strengthen the administrative capacities of government of Pakistan by providing the opportunity to obtain the masters and doctor of philosophy degree to talented government officers who are involved in formulation and implementation of social and economic development of Pakistan. Japan will continue to support Pakistan in the future as a friend and I hope this project would further contribute to strengthen the existing bond of friendship between the two countries."