Japan Grants USD 1 Million to Continue Scholarships for Maldivian Students

The Government of Maldives and the Government of Japan have signed an Exchange of Notes for a grant aid of JPY 152 million (approximately USD 1.02 million) to continue scholarship opportunities for Maldivian students under the Japanese Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS).

The agreement was signed by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sheryna Abdul Samad and Ambassador of Japan to the Maldives Ishigami Rumiko during a ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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The JDS programme, launched by the Japanese government in 2020, provides scholarship opportunities for Maldivians to pursue master’s degree programmes at universities in Japan. The programme aims to strengthen human resource capacity by equipping young Maldivians with knowledge and skills to contribute to the country’s long-term socio-economic development.

To date, 17 students have graduated through the programme, while nine students are currently in Japan pursuing their studies.

The signing ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Skills Development, Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises, Civil Service Commission, the Embassy of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).