The Government of Pakistan and the Government of Japan have signed a grant agreement amounting to 350 million Japanese Yen ($2.2 million) to bolster the Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) Program 2026, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Pakistan and Japan on Tuesday signed a 350 million Japanese yen ($2.2 million) grant agreement to strengthen the Human Resources Development Scholarship Programme (JDS) and expand training opportunities for Pakistani civil servants, the Economic Affairs Ministry said in a… pic.twitter.com/HncfSSy3gq
— The Express Tribune (@etribune) August 11, 2026
The agreement, formalized in Islamabad, will provide fully funded postgraduate scholarships to 17 Pakistani federal civil servants and ex-cadre officers to pursue advanced academic degrees at prestigious universities in Japan, comprising 16 Master’s degree placements and one PhD program.
The Record of Discussions and Exchange of Notes were signed by Federal Secretary for Economic Affairs Muhammad Humair Karim and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Pakistan Akamatsu Shuichi. The grant agreement was signed by Senior Joint Secretary Miran Mohiyuddin Soomro and Yusuke Shinozaki, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Pakistan.
Key highlights of the agreement include:
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Expanding Civil Service Capacity: Marking the 9th installment of the JDS initiative since its launch in Pakistan in 2018, the program continues to develop governance and technical capacity within Pakistan’s civil administration.
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Bilateral Development Cooperation: The agreement builds upon recent high-level consultations between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and JICA President Dr. Tanaka Akihiko regarding broader Japanese technical and financial assistance in skills development, infrastructure (including Main Line-1), mineral development, and SME support.
Secretary Muhammad Humair Karim expressed profound gratitude to the government and people of Japan for their steadfast development assistance, while Ambassador Akamatsu Shuichi and JICA Chief Yusuke Shinozaki reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to deepen bilateral relations and socioeconomic cooperation.
