Japan and Pakistan sign 350 million Yen scholarship pact

Japan and Pakistan have signed a grant agreement worth 350 million Japanese Yen (approximately US$ 2.2 million) to fund the Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) program for the 2026 fiscal year.

The agreement, signed in Islamabad by officials from Pakistan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), marks the ninth installment of the program since its launch in 2018. The funding will provide 16 scholarships for Master’s programs and one scholarship for a PhD program at leading Japanese universities.

The initiative targets young Federal Civil Service and Ex-Cadre officers involved in planning and implementing socio-economic development policies. Since 2018, the program has dispatched over 100 government officers to Japan, with more than 80 having successfully completed their studies and returned to contribute to Pakistan’s development.