Story by Hannah Dadzie
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and the Japanese government have signed a two million dollar grant for Human Resource Development scholarship project, JDS in the country. The JDS programme is to offer opportunity to young Ghanaian public sector workers to pursue graduate studies.
This will help them to build their capacity and implement social and economic plans as future leaders. Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Japanese Ambassador, Mochizuki Hisanobu said his government is determined to continue developing the human resource of Ghana through the JDS programme.
“The core of Japan’s development is the investment in its human resource to ensure that we have people who have the skills and knowledge well-suited for our development aspirations. We aim to extend these experiences to our friends like Ghana who are trying to address various development challenges they face” Mr Mochizuki noted.
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwaku Ampratwun-Sarpong expressed gratitude to the Japanese government for the support. He said the Ministry will ensure that there is transparency in the selection process.
“We are grateful to the Government and the people of Japan for the commitment to support Ghana’s development agenda and industrialization drive through grants, loans and technical assistance in critical areas of our economy. We will make sure that whatever selection criteria they bring we will go according to it strictly, so that there will be no underhand dealings. So in the selection panel my understanding is that Japanese are also involved so it’s not just left to Ghanaians, so will ensure that what needs to be done is done.” Ampratwun-Sarpong indicated.
Japan has offered opportunity through the Human Resource Development Scholarship programme since 2012. This year, 12 Ghanaians will have the opportunity to pursue two-year Masters courses and one Ph.D course at some of the best Japanese Universities including Kobe, Nagoya Nagasaki and Hiroshima and Kyushu.
The thirteen Ghanaians who will pass this year’s selection are expected to leave the country to Japan in August 2022. This will bring the total number of scholarships granted to 104 since its inception.