The Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Hon. Peter Shanel Agovaka, today signed a grant agreement with the Ambassador of Japan to the Solomon Islands, His Excellency Higuchi Keiichi, for The Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) under the Japanese Grant Aid.
The Exchange of Notes and Signing Ceremony was held on 29th July 2025 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade in Honiara.
Welcoming the partnership with the Government of Japan, Minister Agovaka said the SBD $10.1 million grant would benefit Solomon Islands recipients of the scholarship, who will have the opportunity to pursue postgraduate studies in Japan and immerse themselves in Japanese culture and society.
“With our young and growing population, investing in education is vital to building a knowledge-based society and achieving sustainable development,” Minister Agovaka said.
He also acknowledged the long-standing relationship between Solomon Islands and Japan, which spans 47 years, and thanked the Government of Japan for its continued support, particularly in infrastructure development, a national priority for Solomon Islands.
Ambassador Higuchi highlighted that the JDS initiative reflects Japan’s commitment made during the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) held in 2024, where “People-centered Development” was reaffirmed as a key pillar of Japan’s cooperation with the Pacific.
“The JDS project is designed precisely to contribute to this vision by investing in the next generation of leaders and professionals,” Ambassador Higuchi said.
The current agreement marks the second batch of recipients under the JDS program. The first group of scholars is scheduled to depart this week for Japan, where they will embark on a two-year academic journey at leading Japanese universities.
Ambassador Higuchi also extended his appreciation to the Solomon Islands Government, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MFAET), the Ministry of National Planning and Development Coordination (MNPDC), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for their close collaboration during the initial planning and documentation phases of the project.
Speaking during the ceremony, JICA’s Resident Representative in Solomon Islands, Mr. Kawasaki Mitsuyoshi, confirmed that the first batch of three JDS fellows will depart for Japan at the end of this month.
He noted that the second batch of scholars will be selected following today’s signing ceremony. Over the course of four years, a total of 20 government officials are expected to pursue master’s degrees in fields such as public policy, public financial management, international relations, and climate change policy.
Since JICA began its cooperation with Solomon Islands in 1978, more than 1,300 Solomon Islanders have participated in its short-term training programs, known as Knowledge Co-Creation Programs, across various disciplines.
In addition to these training opportunities, more than 20 Solomon Islanders have undertaken postgraduate studies mainly at the master’s and doctoral levels at Japanese universities since 2016, through JICA’s scholarship schemes such as P-Leads, SDGs Global Leaders, and Agri-Net.
