Japanese Grant Assistance to Sri Lanka’s Human Resource Development

JICA and the Government of Sri Lanka signed a Grant Agreement amounting 304 million Japanese Yen (equivalent to 575 million Sri Lankan Rupees) on 19^th July at the office of the Secretary to the Treasury, to support the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarships (JDS) program in Sri Lanka. This agreement would enable for seventeen officials from various public sector organizations to enter in Master's and Doctoral programs at esteemed Japanese universities starting from 2025.

Since the JDS program's launch in 2010, 192 public sector professionals have successfully completed their degrees in economics, industry, agriculture, finance, disaster risk reduction, and business management, including 186 master's and 6 doctoral degrees. These officials are applying the knowledge they gained through the program to enhance the socioeconomic development of the country. Presently 24 officials are pursuing master's degrees, and 6 officials are pursuing doctorates in Japan under the JDS scheme.

The Secretary, Mr. Mahinda Siriwardana, appreciated JICA for continuing to assist Sri Lanka with various development projects, particularly those aimed at achieving long-term sustainable economic growth.