Japanese Embassy re-affirms its commitment to support JDS programme
Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Mizukoshi Hideaki, held a reception to send-off JDS (the Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resources Development Scholarship) recipients on Tuesday (8). The Ambassador extended his congratulations to 17 new JDS fellows, who are heading to Japan as scholarship students this month.
The JDS programme is one of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes to promote high-quality growth of a country through human resource development. One of its main purposes is to accept young promising administrative officers, who are expected to be in leadership positions in the future, as international students in Japanese graduate schools, so that they can utilize the expertise they gain in Japan in formulating and implementing social and economic policies after they return to their home country.
Under the project, 17 public sector officials will be sent to pursue a two to three year Master or PhD degree from this year. Areas of their degrees cover Public Policy, Macroeconomics, Public Finance and Investment Management, Industry Development Policy and Investment Promotion, and Urban and Regional Development.
Since its inception in 2009, JDS project has supported 205 public sector officials in Sri Lanka. The project will contribute not only to enhancing individual capacities but also to improving institutional capacity of the public sector in Sri Lanka, which helps Sri Lanka to overcome various difficulties related to the current economic hardships and to achieve prosperity further in the future.
The reception was held as a pre-alumni reunion as well, with the participation of 22 returned JDS fellows who are willing to establish the JDS alumni association. Stressing the essentiality for relevant ministries to co-operate so that they could overcome current complex and difficult problems, Ambassador Mizukoshi expressed his sincere beliefs that arranging alumni gatherings by JDS fellows themselves and sharing the knowledge gained in Japan would be highly conducive to accelerating Sri Lanka’s development.
In line with the IMF programme, various endeavours such as reforms on revenue and expenditure, State-owned enterprises as well as the eradication of corruption are being carried out. Also, on the occasion of Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi’s courtesy call to Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, the signing ceremony of Exchange of Notes for next year’s JDS programme was conducted in the presence of Prime Minister and Japanese Foreign Minister at the Temple Trees on July 29, which highlights the importance of the JDS programme.
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