August 18, Colombo (LNW): Japan has committed JPY 282 million, equivalent to around Rs. 591 million, in grant assistance to Sri Lanka to continue a scholarship programme focused on strengthening the country’s public sector workforce.
The funding will support the next stage of the Human Resource Development Scholarship Programme (JDS), which provides promising government officials with opportunities to pursue postgraduate studies at universities in Japan.
Under the latest initiative, 15 Sri Lankan public sector officers are expected to be selected for two-year Master’s degree programmes commencing in 2027. The courses will cover areas considered important to the country’s economic and institutional development.
Fields of study will include public policy, international relations, international development, macroeconomics, public finance and investment management, as well as industrial development policy and investment promotion.
The grant agreement was concluded in Colombo on 17 August through an exchange of notes between Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Akio Isomata and Dr Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the Treasury and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
The JDS programme has been operating in Sri Lanka since 2010 and has so far supported 254 public sector officials in pursuing higher education in Japan. The initiative is intended not only to enhance professional expertise but also to develop a pool of officials capable of contributing to policymaking and long-term national development.
The latest funding is expected to further strengthen Sri Lanka-Japan cooperation in human resource development while giving a new group of government officials access to international academic and professional experience.
