Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mizukoshi Hideaki, on Tuesday, held a reception to send-off JDS (the Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resources Development Scholarship) scholarship fellows, and extended his heartfelt congratulations on the new 17 JDS fellows, who are heading to Japan, this month, as scholarship students.

The JDS programme is one of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes to promote high-quality growth of a country through human resource development. One of its main purposes is to accept young promising administrative officers, who are expected to be in leadership positions in the future, as international students in Japanese graduate schools so that they can utilize the expertise they gain in Japan in formulating and implementing social and economic policies after they return to their home country.

JDS fellows are also expected to solidify foundations for further bilateral relations with Japan and succeed as a bridge between both countries by utilizing their human network, developed through academic and social activities while in Japan.

Under the project, 17 public sector officials will be sent to pursue a two- to three0year Master, or PhD degree, from this year. Areas of their degrees cover Public Policy, Macroeconomics, Public Finance and Investment Management, Industry Development Policy and Investment Promotion, and Urban and Regional Development.

Since its inception in 2009, JDS project has supported 205 public sector officials in Sri Lanka. The project will contribute not only to enhancing individual capacities but also to improving institutional capacity of the public sector in Sri Lanka, which helps Sri Lanka to overcome various difficulties related to the current economic hardships and to achieve prosperity further in the future.

The reception was held as a pre-alumni reunion as well, with the enthusiastic participation of 22 returned JDS fellows who are willing to establish the JDS alumni association. Stressing the essentiality for relevant ministries to cooperate so that they could overcome the current complex and difficult problems, Ambassador Mizukoshi expressed his sincere beliefs that arranging alumni gatherings by JDS fellows themselves and sharing the knowledge gained in Japan would be highly conducive to accelerating Sri Lanka’s development.