JICE official briefs PWPA on scholarship programme, encourages women applicants

By Dr Ansab Ali Lahore Pakistan

LAHORE: Country Officer Kaneko Nahomi of the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE), Overseas Planning and Operation Division II, International Students Program Department, met Punjab Women Protection Authority (PWPA) Director General Dr. Lubna Nazir and Director Finance Chaudhary Zubair Ahmed at the authority’s head office in Lahore.

During the meeting, Kaneko briefed the PWPA officials on the Japan Development Scholarship (JDS) 2026, a programme designed to strengthen the administrative capacity of the Government of Pakistan by enabling eligible government employees to pursue master’s degrees at Japanese universities.

The scholarship offers several benefits, including round-trip airfare between Islamabad and Japan, a monthly stipend, full tuition fees at participating Japanese universities, designated allowances and assistance with accommodation arrangements.

The programme is open to eligible government officers aged 25 to 40 years as of April 1, 2027, who hold a bachelor’s degree and have at least three years of professional experience. The scholarship particularly encourages women to apply, while the medium of instruction is English.

For the 2026 programme, a total of 16 scholarship slots are available across three priority areas: public administration and finance; industrial promotion and investment climate; and energy policy and response to climate change.

The deadline for applications is November 27, 2026.

The meeting provided an opportunity to share information about the scholarship and encourage eligible government employees, particularly women, to benefit from opportunities for higher education, professional development and capacity building through academic study in Japan.

Interested candidates can obtain further information by visiting jds-scholarship.org.