Pakistan and Japan on Tuesday signed an agreement under which the Japanese government will provide a grant assistance of $263 million to support human resource development in Pakistan.

The “Human Resource Development Scholarship” agreement was signed by Secretary of Economic Affairs Dr. Kazim Niaz and Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan. The grant is aimed at equipping young professionals in the federal government with higher education opportunities in Japan.

According to a statement issued by the Economic Affairs Division, 16 federal employees will be selected under the latest phase to pursue Master's degrees at top Japanese universities. The programme, run in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), seeks to strengthen the administrative capacity and policy formulation skills of public sector officers.

Since its inception in 2018, seven batches of Pakistani civil servants have availed the scholarship, the division’s spokesperson said, adding that the scheme has contributed significantly towards professional development and bilateral cooperation.

Secretary Kazim Niaz expressed gratitude to the government and people of Japan for their continued support and investment in Pakistan’s human capital. “Such initiatives not only build individual capacities but also contribute to national development,” he remarked.

Japanese Ambassador reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to Pakistan’s development journey, stating, “We are proud of our longstanding partnership with Pakistan and will continue to support its human resource development through JICA and other initiatives.”