Japanese scholarships: Farewell held for nine Japan-bound students

ISLAMABAD:

A pre-departure orientation gathering was held here on Monday for Japan-bound Pakistani students.

The gathering at the residence of the Japanese ambassador was to bid farewell to nine students awarded Japanese government scholarships to pursue higher education in the East Asian country.

The event was hosted by Japanese Charges d’Affaires Takashi Katae. The students will be pursuing their PhDs in various fields. Pakistani students were first awarded Japanese scholarships in 1963.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, a higher education adviser at the Embassy of Japan said that while the scholarship was awarded for both PhD and masters, this year, all nine students selected were for doctoral programmes in some of the best universities in Japan.

Katae suggested the students consider learning Japanese. The envoy said that he hoped the hospitality and friendship of the Japanese people would help get the students through any adjustments they needed to make during their time in the East Asian country.

Sophia Ali, who has been selected for a PhD in Business Administration with a specialisation in organisational behaviour said that she always thought of Japan as home. Having visited it in 2012 with her family, she said her first step in the country made her fall in love with it.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2015.