Japan supports Ghana’s human resource
The government of Japan is to provide Ghana with a $1.7 million grant aid to enable some public officials in the country to study in Japan this year. The programme, dubbed: “Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS),” is expected to support human resource development in Ghana.
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JDS supports young leaders from beneficiary countries with full scholarships for graduate degrees in Japanese universities.
The programme was first introduced in Ghana in 2012 and is being implemented in phases.
Twenty-five public officials in the country benefited from the first phase which began in 2012 and ended in 2015. The second phase, which started in 2016 is also expected to support 20 Ghanaians before it ends in 2019.
Under the current agreement which was signed between the governments of Japan and Ghana in Accra, the last batch of 10 people are to benefit from the programme this year. This will bring the total number of beneficiaries to 45 since the inception of the programme.
Target
The programme targets highly capable, young government officials and those engaged in the formulation and implementation of social and economic development plans as they strive to lead the country in its development process.
JDS fellows are also expected to contribute to an expanded and enhanced foundation for bilateral relations between Ghana and Japan.
The beneficiaries would further acquire expert knowledge, conduct research and build human networks in Japanese universities.
Signing ceremony
Speaking at the event in Accra today, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, who signed for Ghana, described Japan as a reliable friend and partner.
She said the gesture by Japan would further enhance the relationship between both countries.
“Remarkably, Ghana is the only African country which has benefited from the JDS project. “On behalf of the government of Ghana, I wish to extend Ghana’s sincere appreciation to the Government of Japan for its continued support for the socio-economic development of Ghana,” she said.
Ms Botchwey called on the beneficiaries not to betray the confidence reposed in them by working hard to become successful in their studies and come back home to contribute to the accelerated development of the country.
Courses
For his part, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ghana, Mr Kaoru Yoshimura, who signed for the government of Japan, mentioned Public Health, Economics, Agriculture and Energy as courses the beneficiaries studied.
“These academic areas were chosen because the Ghanaian-Japanese government partnership considered the focus study areas as strategically important areas in terms of strengthening human resource for Ghana’s national development,” he explained.
According to the ambassadaor, the programme was being implemented in Ghana with the hope that beneficiaries would acquire the requisite knowledge and skills that would be useful in tackling social and economic issues in Ghana.