An exchange diplomatic note underscoring the commitment was signed in Hanoi on July 2 by Vietnamese Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thien Nhan and Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Hattori Norio.

The batch of scholarships is part of the Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resources Development Scholarship (JDS) programme initiated in Vietnam in 2000.

The programme targets young government officials, researchers and others who have the potential to play leadership roles in their specialties after returning to Vietnam and contribute to the country’s socio-economic development.

Under the programme, as many as 208 Vietnamese academics have received further training in Japan so far at a total cost of over ¥3 billion (US$24.5 million).