Japan Offers Afghanistan 500 Scholarships for Higher Studies

June 27, 2012 - Japan is offering 500 scholarships for Afghan students over the next five years to pursue their higher education in Japanese universities.

At a meeting on Wednesday with Mrs. Sadako Ogata, a seasoned diplomat and Advisor to Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Hamid Karzai discussed a number of important issues including Japan’s kind offer of 500 scholarships to Afghanistan and the need for improvement in higher education sector.

Under the project name PEACE (Project for Promotion and Enhancement of Afghan Capacity for Effective Development), Mrs. Ogata said 40 Afghan students were already in Japan as part of the first batch with the second group to leave for Japan in September.

Also on agenda for the meeting was the preparations currently underway for the upcoming Tokyo Conference and Japan’s contribution to the improvement of agriculture and its efforts to encourage Japanese investment in Afghanistan.

President Karzai once again expressed Afghanistan’s gratitude to Japan for all its assistance over the past several years and for its arrangements to host another major international conference on Afghanistan.

The President particularly thanked Ms. Ogata for her personal dedication and efforts in improving lives in Afghanistan.