Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Japan extends grant aid for the scholarships to government officers

Japan has extended grant aid for the scholarships to the government officers.
Japanese ambassador to Nepal Masamichi Saigo and finance secretary Rajan Khanal today signed and exchanged three sets of Notes, on behalf of their respective governments, to implement the implementation of Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarships (JDS).
These Notes are for extending Japan’s Grant Assistance up to ¥250 million (or equivalent to Rs 254.7 million) and ¥378 million (or equivalent to Rs 385.2 million) for the implementation of JDS Phase I and Phase II, respectively. The third note relates to assistance of ¥300 million (or equivalent to Rs 305.7 million) for the implementation of the School Sector Development Programme (SSDP).
Likewise, chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA Nepal) Yumiko Asakuma and joint secretary of the International Economic Cooperation and Coordination Division (IECCD) under Finance Ministry Shreekrishna Nepal have also signed and exchanged a Grant Agreement for the implementation of the scheme, according to a press note issued by the Japanese Embassy in Kathmandu.
The JDS Project Grant is designed to support human resource development of friendly nations through accepting highly capable, energetic, and young government officials into Japanese universities and strengthening the partnership between recipient countries and Japan by utilising human relation chains to address future global needs, the press note reads. “Phase I of JDS is in the final completion stage under which 60 Nepali government officers have already been dispatched while 20 are in the process of pursing their studies in Japanese universities.”
In the meantime, Phase II of JDS is in the implementation process with the addition of an infrastructure development component and doctoral degree programme as per the request of the government of Nepal.
Similarly, Japan has also been assisting in the implementation of the School Sector Development Programme (SSDP) from 2016. “Education is an investment in human capital and the foundation for a nation’s sustainable social and economic development,” said Japanese envoy Saigo, after signing the agreement. He also stressed that through education the cycle of poverty could be eradicated in the long term. SSDP is considered as an important vessel to enable Nepal to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to become a middle-income country by 2030.
Envoy Saigo hoped that the SSDP would improve the quality of education, school management and institutional capacity and the access to education for children in marginalized communities, based on SDGs policy ‘No one left behind’.
The Embassy of Japan also expressed its firm belief that the objectives being envisaged by above Projects will be achieved, thereby further strengthening the existing cordial relationship of friendship and cooperation between the people of Japan and Nepal.
Japanese Grant Aid for human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) was established by the Government of Nepal with the assistance of the Government of Japan in 2015. The JDS is funded by the Government of Japan through Official Development Assistance (ODA) supported by Japanese tax payers. The JDS Grant is designed to support human resource development of friendly nations through accepting highly capable, energetic, and young government officials in designated Japanese universities as JDS fellows. These officials are then expected to engage in formulation and implementation of socio-economic development plans and programmes, and are also expected to be future leaders or engines for development in their respective countries. Yet another objective of the JDS Scheme is to strengthen partnerships between recipient countries and Japan by utilising human relation chains to address future global needs, the press note explains.

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