Japan Extends Grant Aid of Seventeen Million Japanese Yen for HR Development Scholarship

At a ceremony held on June 13^th in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ambassador of Japan to the Maldives, Mrs. Takeuchi Midori and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ahmed Khaleel signed the Exchange of Note for the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS).
 
This aid is in keeping with the Exchange of Notes agreed in August 2020 between the Governments of Japan and the Republic of Maldives, which for the first time granted Maldivians fully financed scholarships for Master's Degrees in social sciences at Japan's best universities. The initiative will run for four years, beginning in 2020, and will choose six eligible Maldivians each year. For the year 2022, the grant aid totals one hundred and seventeen million Japanese Yen (JPY 117,000,000), which is almost USD 865,000.

 
This scholarship is intended to aid in the development of highly talented young public officials who will be involved in the creation and implementation of future social and economic development initiatives. With a broad understanding of Japan, JDS fellows are intended to contribute to the improvement of bilateral relations between the Maldives and Japan.
 
Since 1999, the JDS project has been implemented in 21 partner nations. The project will be implemented by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Maldives in collaboration with the Maldives Ministry of Higher Education. The Japanese government remains dedicated to furthering the Maldives' socio-economic development.

[Photos: Ministry of Foreign Affairs]