Rs. 591 Mn Japanese Grant to Shape Sri Lanka's Next Policy Makers

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Government of Japan has provided a grant assistance package worth JPY 282 million (approximately Rs. 591 million) to support the continued implementation of the Human Resource Development Scholarship Programme (JDS), aimed at developing the next generation of Sri Lankan public sector leaders.

The programme is designed to provide advanced academic and professional training opportunities for promising young government officials by enabling them to pursue higher education at leading universities in Japan.

Under the latest phase of the project, 15 Sri Lankan public sector officials will be selected to undertake two-year Master's degree programmes beginning in 2027.

The scholarship recipients will specialize in a range of fields critical to national development, including Public Policy, International Relations, International Development, Macroeconomics, Public Finance and Investment Management, Industry Development Policy and Investment Promotion.

The grant agreement was formalized on August 17 with the signing and exchange of notes between Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Akio Isomata and Secretary to the Treasury and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, in Colombo.

Since the launch of the JDS programme in Sri Lanka in 2010, a total of 254 public sector officials have benefited from the initiative, receiving opportunities to enhance their expertise and leadership capabilities through postgraduate studies in Japan.