The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT) has awarded MEXT research scholarships for the year 2012 to eight (8) postgraduate students of Pakistan, aiming to provide them an opportunity to pursue higher studies in their respective fields at Universities in Japan.
This fully funded Japanese scholarships programme is designed to contribute to the long-term development needs of Pakistan for the promotion of good governance, economic growth and human development, said a press statement issued by the Embassy of Japan. The scholarship grantees have been selected by the Embassy of Japan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT) in collaboration with the MEXT Alumni Association of Pakistan (MAAP).
The Embassy of Japan on Friday organised a pre-departure orientation for the scholarship grantees during which alumni of the scholarship shared their knowledge and experiences with the young scholarship grantees. Toshikazu Isomura, Counsellor, Head of Public Affairs Section, congratulated the students on this challenging endeavour and also expressed his hope that the students would come back to Pakistan to utilise their knowledge and expertise for the common good of Japan and Pakistan.
Since years, many Pakistani MEXT Research Scholarship students have successfully returned to Pakistan after obtaining their PhD /Masters Degrees in Japan. These students are actively working in the academia, public and private sectors, making significant contributions to the Japan-Pakistan relationship.