News from Asia and the Pacific
Asian Recipients of Japan-IMF Scholarship Renewed Commitment at Welcome Event
Nearly all the 67 current recipients of the scholarship for this year, including 37 new students from 15 countries, attended the reception to renew their commitment to their respective studies, and reinforced their ties with other scholars studying at different campuses. They new scholars had also attended a 10-week orientation program during summer and lived together on campus before they moved to their own universities.
“It is indeed a great honor and privilege to be part of the JISPA scholarship program,” said Sione Tokai, the first scholarship recipient from Tonga and an official of its finance ministry, in his reception remarks. “This program will deeply enlighten me about knowledge and advanced skills in economics and public policies. Obtaining such knowledge would be a great asset … as I return to utilize and take action to develop our small economy for the betterment of the Kingdom of Tonga.”
JISPA is a scholarship for Asian officials from finance ministries, central banks and related public institutions to pursue a graduate degree at Japanese universities. Most of the JISPA students attend the four partnership universities – the International University of Japan, Hitotsubashi University, the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, and the University of Tokyo, pursuing a master’s degree in macroeconomics or related fields. A small number of people are taking PhD courses at schools of their own choice.
From its start in 1993, JISPA has generated nearly 740 alumni, many of whom now hold senior positions in their respective governments. One of the alumni, Eldar Syzdykov, attended the welcome reception this year as Counsellor of the Kazakhstan Embassy in Tokyo.
The scholarship program is funded solely by the Japanese government.