Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Government of Nepal (GON) have signed the Grant Agreement for “The Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS)” for Fiscal Year 2024. The agreement, valued at 454 million Japanese Yen (JPY 454,000,000), was signed today, reaffirming the commitment of both governments to enhancing the capacity of Nepal’s civil service through advanced education. Government of Japan has been providing this scholarship continuously since 2016.

The Exchange of Notes regarding the assistance was signed byDr. Ram Prasad Ghimire, Secretary, Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of Nepal (GON) and KIKUTA Yutaka, Ambassador of Japan to Nepal on behalf of the Government of Japan (GOJ).

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

Under this agreement, JICA will provide 22 scholarships annually—20 for Master’s degrees and 2 for PhDs—to Nepali civil servants. These scholarships will enable participants to study at prestigious Japanese universities, enhancing their expertise in fields such as judiciary, economic policy etc., while also expanding their global professional networks.

The JDS program aims to bolster the administrative capacities of young and promising civil servants with advanced skills to become future leaders. They are expected to contribute significantly to Nepal’s social and economic development in the new federal structure by actively engaging in national policy formulation and implementation of social and economic development policies when they complete the program and return to their home country.

Since its inception in 2016, the JDS program has awarded scholarships to 187 Nepali civil servants. Of these, 127 have graduated and are actively contributing to key ministries in Nepal, while 60 currently continue their studies in Japan.

During the occasion, MATSUZAKI Mizuki, Chief Representative of JICA Nepal, emphasized that “JICA remains committed to strengthen human resource in Nepal.”