Kabul (PAN):

Japan has pledged to grant 500 scholarships to Afghan students who wish to pursue higher education in various educational fields in the country, the Presidential Palace said on Thursday.

The Japanese foreign minister advisor Sadako Ogata said Japan was willing to fund Afghan students during a meeting with President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday in Kabul.

During the meeting, both parties discussed on improving education system in Afghanistan, preparation for the Tokyo Conference in July, and agricultural sector development and also to encourage Japanese investors to invest in Afghanistan, added the statement.

According to Ogata, 40 Afghan students are studying in Japan and the second batch would leave in September.

Karzai had said they have allocated $10 million in scholarships for 1,000 Afghan students this year to study in foreign universities.

Last year, the government spent $5 million to send 500 top Afghan students and teachers to India and Turkey to obtain their degree, master and doctorate qualifications.
myn/vp

source: http://www.pajhwok.com / Pajhwok Afghan News / Home> Education / by Mir Agha Samimi / June 28th, 2012