Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Japanese Ambassador to Uzbekistan Hirata Kenji and Uzbekistan’s Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Kongratbay Sharipov signed exchange of notes in Tashkent on 28 September for the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS).
The project will provide opportunities for young Uzbek government officials to study in Japan, with total funding of up to ¥358 million, equivalent to about US$2.25 million, the Embassy of Japan in Uzbekistan said.
The project is being implemented under the Japanese government’s grant assistance program. Along with the exchange of notes, Sharipov and Mamoru Sakai, head of the Uzbekistan office of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), signed a grant agreement for the project.
Under the program, young Uzbek government officials will pursue master’s degrees at Japanese universities in priority fields for Uzbekistan. After returning home, graduates are expected to contribute to policymaking and other government tasks.
The Japanese side also expects the project to promote deeper mutual understanding between Japan and Uzbekistan and strengthen friendly relations between the two countries.
The cooperation is aimed at implementing one of the three priority areas identified under the Joint Declaration of the Heads of State, known as the Tokyo Declaration, adopted following the first Central Asia Plus Japan Dialogue summit in December 2025: “Human Resource Development.”
According to the embassy, the Japanese government intends to continue efforts to develop human resources in Uzbekistan and deepen mutual understanding between the two countries.
