Maldives and Japan have signed an agreement to offer fully funded higher education scholarships to the island nation.
Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, Dr Ali Haidar Ahmed and Motoo Taki, the Resident Representative of JICA in the Maldives, officially signed the Grant Agreement for the JDS Scholarship Program 2025–2031 between the Government of the Maldives and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
This fully funded scholarship programme, the Ministry said, aims to strengthen human resource development by providing opportunities for Maldivians to pursue master’s degrees in Japan empowering future public sector leaders and deepening the partnership between the two countries.
Six scholarships for master's degrees have been opened this year, including programmes in International Relations, Public Policy and Environmental Sciences.
The Japanese government is spending more than USD 1.3 million on this programme.
Under the agreement, Maldives will receive Japanese assistance in the field of higher education for the next four years. The last four years saw the Government of Japan provide the opportunity to 24 Maldivian students to pursue Master's level education.