# Japanese scholarship grants in South Asia > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/japanese-scholarship-grants-in-south-asia > Updated: 2026-08-31T05:58:10.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2. Japan is providing grant aid to several South Asian nations to support human resource development and public sector professional training through the Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) programme. In Bangladesh, an agreement was signed for the 2026 programme, providing approximately ¥567 million (US$3.51 million) to fund 33 government officials for postgraduate studies at Japanese universities. In Sri Lanka, the Japanese government provided JPY 282 million to support 15 public sector officials in pursuing master's degrees starting in 2027, focusing on fields such as public policy and macroeconomics. Additionally, the Maldives and Japan signed an agreement for a MVR 14.7 million (approximately USD 951,915) grant via the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). This funding supports scholarship opportunities for Maldivian public sector employees to study at Japanese universities, continuing a partnership that has benefited 36 Maldivians since 2020. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-31: Maldives to prioritize STEM education loans and secure Japanese scholarship grants The Maldives will allocate half of its higher education loans to STEM fields to expand its skilled workforce and support renewable energy goals, while a new grant from Japan will fund scholarships for students. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/maldives-to-prioritize-stem-education-loans-and-secure-japanese-scholarship-grants ### 2026-08-17: Japan provides scholarship grants to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Japan has signed grant agreements with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to fund the JDS scholarship programme, providing postgraduate studies for public sector officials to enhance national development. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/japan-provides-scholarship-grants-to-bangladesh-and-sri-lanka --- Cite as: Japanese scholarship grants in South Asia. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/japanese-scholarship-grants-in-south-asia