The agreement was signed at the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Islamabad, according to a statement issued by the ministry.
The 2026 programme will provide 16 scholarships for master's programmes and one for a doctoral programme at Japanese universities, the ministry said. The scholarships are available to young Federal Civil Service and ex-cadre officers of Pakistan.
Muhammad Humair Karim, Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Japanese Ambassador Akamatsu Shuichi signed the Record of Discussions and Exchange of Notes. Miran Mohiyuddin Soomro, Senior Joint Secretary at the ministry, and Yusuke Shinozaki, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Pakistan, signed the grant agreement.
The JDS programme was launched in Pakistan in 2018. Japan's latest grant is the ninth installment of the programme, while eight batches of Pakistani officials have already benefited from the scholarships, according to the ministry.
Each of the eight previous batches comprised around 17 to 18 participants, the ministry said.
Japan also provides opportunities for Pakistani government officials to participate in short-term training programmes in Japan.
The programme adds a continuing human-resource development component to Pakistan-Japan cooperation, with the latest grant extending postgraduate study opportunities to another group of Pakistani government officials.
