The Japanese government has provided a grant aid of approximately Rs. 761 million for the Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) project, which aims to improve the capacity of public sector officials.
A grant of Japanese Yen 282 million (approximately Rs. 761 million) will be given to various universities in Japan to train young executive officers in the public sector and develop their skills in order to qualify them as future national leaders in their respective fields.
From 2023 to 2025, 17 public-sector employees will be sent to pursue a two-year Master’s or PhD degree through the project. Public Policy, Macroeconomics, Public Finance and Investment Management, Industry Development Policy and Investment Promotion, and Urban and Regional Development are among the subjects covered by their degrees.
The Exchange of Notes for this project was signed on August 8 at the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies by Japan’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mizukoshi Hideaki, and Ministry of Finance Secretary K.M.M. Siriwardana.
As a long-standing friend, Japan has prioritised human resource development assistance through numerous capacity building and skills development programmes in order to accelerate long-term sustainable economic development.
Since its inception in 2010, the JDS project has assisted 188 Sri Lankan public sector officials. The project will contribute not only to improving individual capacities but also to improving institutional capacity of the public sector in Sri Lanka, allowing the country to overcome various difficulties related to current economic hardships and achieve greater prosperity in the future.
JDS fellows are also expected to lay the groundwork for future bilateral relations with Japan by leveraging the human network they built while in Japan through academic and social activities. Japan, which has had a close friendship with Sri Lanka for 70 years, will continue to stand in solidarity with the country.
