Nepal and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a grant agreement for “The Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS)” for Fiscal Year 2025.

The grant amounting to 572 million Japanese Yen (JPY 572,000,000) will provide 22 scholarships to the government officials of Nepal through advanced education.

The Government of Japan has been providing scholarships continuously since 2016.

Ghanashyam Upadhaya, Secretary, Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of Nepal and MAEDA Toru, Ambassador of Japan to Nepal on behalf of the Government of Japan signed the agreement, reads a statement issued by JICA.

Similarly, the grant agreement was signed by Dhani Ram Sharma, Joint Secretary, International Economic Cooperation Coordination Division (IECCD), Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of Nepal and MATSUZAKI Mizuki, Chief Representative of JICA Nepal Office.

Each year, the scholarship offers 20 seats for two-year master’s degree courses (since 2016) and two seats for three-year Doctoral level courses (starting 2019) to reputed universities in Japan.

These scholarships enable participants to study at prestigious Japanese universities, enhancing their expertise in fields such as judiciary and economic policy among others while also expanding their global professional networks. Since 2016, 209 civil servants have been awarded scholarships through the JDS Grant Aid program.

On the occasion, MATSUZAKI Mizuki, Chief Representative of JICA Nepal Office, emphasized JICA’s commitment to strengthen human resources in Nepal.