ISLAMABAD: The Japanese government announced on Tuesday grant aid worth about $2.4 million for the Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) programme in 2022-23.

JDS is designed to support social and economic development of the country by providing an opportunity to government officials to obtain masters or doctoral degree in Japan in order to strengthen their administrative capacity.

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 to know how Japan became a country as it is today.

As JDS in Pakistan started from 2018 and has four batches in four consecutive years, the first phase concluded this year. This occasion celebrates the signing of the very first batch of the second phase of this programme. For this batch, the maximum number of the slots for JDS participants in Pakistan is 17 seats for the master’s degree and one seat for the doctoral degree.

Charge d’ Affaires at the Japan embassy Ishii Kensuke and Economic Affairs Secretary Mian Asad Hayauddin signed the ‘Exchange of Notes’ on the JDS programme.

Mr Kensuke said on the occasion that JDS scholarship is expected to contribute to strengthening the administrative capacities of government of Pakistan by providing the talented government officials with the opportunity to obtain the Master and Doctor of Philosophy degree, so that they can effectively lead the social and economic development of Pakistan.

He expressed the hope that the project would further contribute to strengthening the friendship between the two countries.

The grant agreement for the programme was also signed between joint secretary of Economic Affairs Division Adil Akbar Khan, joint secretary of Ministry of Economic Affairs and Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) Pakistan Office, Kinoshita Yasumitsu.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2022