The Government of Japan has provided a grant assistance of Japanese Yen 284 million to Sri Lanka to continue Japanese-funded human resources development scholarships program in the country for 2023.

Japan has been providing long term scholarships to Sri Lanka since 2010 under the Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resources Development Scholarship (JDS) Programme.

The executive level public sector officials are bestowed, under the above programme, with the instrumental opportunity to undergo Master Degree Programmes in renowned universities in Japan to improve their capacity, knowledge and skills, the Department of External Resources said.

Going forward, since 2017, the government of Japan has introduced a Ph.D. program enhancing its assistance to the public sector strengthening in Sri Lanka, it added.

Under the JDS program, the government of Japan annually provides 15 scholarships for Master’s and 02 scholarships for Ph.D., for the government officials in Sri Lanka. 

So far 222 government officials have gained opportunities for Master’s Degrees under this program in diverse fields of study such as public finance, economics, disaster risk reduction, and business management etc., the department mentioned in a statement.

Those officials, once returned to the country after successfully completing the programme, are pioneering to the socio economic development of the country as well as they are contributing to further strengthen the long lasting relationship between the two countries, it said, adding that the programme is fully funded on grant basis by the Government of Japan. 

Accordingly, in 2023 also, a grant assistance of Japanese Yen 284 million (approximately Rs. 611 million according to the current exchange rate) has been offered to Sri Lanka, according to the statement.

Having successfully completed the First Framework from 2010 to 2013, the Second Framework from 2014 to 2017 and the Third Framework from 2018 to 2021 under the above programme, currently we have embarked on the Fourth Framework, started in 2022 and expected to be completed in 2025.

Thus, an Exchange of Note between the two governments was signed on 29th July 2023 at the Prime Minister’s office for the implementation of the proposed JDS programme. 

Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies K. M. Mahinda Siriwardana, on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka and MIZUKOSHI Hideaki, Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka on behalf of the Government of Japan has signed the relevant documents.