Japan-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia (JISPA) for Developing Countries

The Japan-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia (JISPA) was first introduced in 1993. It is funded by the Government of Japan, administered by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and conducted at various graduate schools in Japan. Its objective is to contribute to institutional capacity building in economic policymaking to promote the sustainable growth of emerging and developing economies in Asia and the Pacific. By training future macroeconomic managers in these countries, the JISPA aims to enable them to better formulate sound economic and financial stability policies needed for sustainable growth and development.

The JISPA targets highly motivated government officials who may serve as future macroeconomic policy makers with the capacity and vision to contribute effectively to the economic development of their countries. Scholarship awards are made on the basis of the candidate’s academic record and work background, mathematical and statistics skills, English language proficiency, and potential for contributing to the macroeconomic and financial management and economic development of their country. The assessment also includes qualities such as the candidate’s commitment to public service, willingness to learn, and openness to new ideas.

Target countries

Target Countries: Under current program guidelines, candidates must be a national of one of the following countries:

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao P.D.R., Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pacific Island Countries, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.


What's on offer

The scholarship covers tuition-related costs and most living expenses for the scholar herself/himself. Officials who receive the JISPA scholarship cannot accept other scholarships. Scholars are expected to devote full time to their studies while in Japan.


The program comprises two tracks: the partnership track and the open track. Because of the strong competition for scholarships, the JISPA is highly selective. In 2010-2011, a total of 30 new scholarships are available to candidates for the partnership track. There is no fixed limit on new scholarships for the open track, but generally only a small number of scholarships are awarded.

The Partnership Track

The partnership track of the JISPA allows scholars to study a specially designed graduate level course concentrating on macroeconomics at an IMF partnership university. In 2010, the partnership universities that will be accepting scholars are:

Partnership Universities

National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS): one year program
Hitotsubashi University (HIT): two year program
International University of Japan (IUJ): two year program

All subjects, including the thesis component, are taught entirely in English.
The universities offer subjects that cover essential elements that will allow scholars to enter the macroeconomic policy dialogue at an international level. They also offer various optional subjects that will allow scholars to pursue their particular interests, relevant to the topic of their master’s thesis. This thesis component is considered one of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of the program.

Subjects are taught by dedicated professors, many of whom have experience working as professionals of the IMF, World Bank, or other international institutions.

The application deadline for the partnership track is December 10, 2009. After an initial screening of applications, select candidates will be contacted by the IMF to arrange an interview, which is typically done in-country with representatives from the partnership universities. A math and/or English examination may also be administered at this time. Final selection will be made on the basis of the in-country interview, math and English competencies, the application form, and any other supplementary information. (please see the application guidelines for the partnership track for the complete information).

Application procedures

1. Completed application form: The applicant for the partnership track is requested to apply through the online application system. (The on-line application will be made available by the mid-October, 2009.) The blank application form can be reviewed for reference only.

2. Official transcripts and official copies of diplomas or degree certificates from all undergraduate and graduate schools: An official copy means a certified copy of the original document with an official seal obtained from the administration office of the university attended. Copies attested by organizations/persons not having notarized/legal bearing will not be accepted.

2. Two reference letters: References should be from applicants’ supervisor at work and/or an 3cademic advisor or professor.

4. TOEFL/IELTS certificate (if available): The TOEFL/IELTS test score must be from an examination taken after December 10, 2007. If a score is unavailable, the applicant will be requested to sit for a TOEFL/IELTS examination prior to receiving a final decision on the scholarship award.All submitted application material must be presented in English or be accompanied by an official English translation. The material will be considered under the control of the IMF and provided to the relevant school(s) and the Government of Japan as it sees appropriate. None of the material will be returned to applicants.

* Yokohama National University (YNU) accepts new scholars every other year. It will not accept any new scholars for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Open Track: Application Guidelines

Application Guidelines For Open Track

Application deadline
Eligibility requirements
Application procedures

Application deadline

There is no application deadline. Applications are accepted and reviewed year-round.

Eligibility requirements

Work: Candidates should also currently work for one of the following or related agencies:

central bank, ministry of economy, ministry of finance, ministry of planning/development, ministry of trade/commerce, tax administration, or national statistics bureau.
The program will also consider officials working in other areas of government that have a significant impact on the formulation or implementation of macroeconomic policy.

Education Background: Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent with at least 16 years of formal education. Names of schools and attending dates beginning from primary school must be listed in the application. In some cases, 15 years of formal education may be accepted if there is an official explanation (a country’s particular educational system or other exceptional circumstances).

English proficiency: Applicants must have an English language proficiency, which needs to be demonstrated as equivalent to or more than an official TOEFL score of 550, CBT213, or iBT79-80. If TOEFL scores are not available, then an overall IELTS score of at least 6.0 can be substituted.

Admission to the University: The applicants must be accepted in a graduate-level program in an appropriate discipline. The scholars who have already commenced their studies in Japan may be also considered by the IMF.

Application procedures

1. Completed application form (preferably typed).

2. Official transcripts and official copies of diplomas or degree certificates from all undergraduate and graduate schools: An official copy means a certified copy of the original document with an official seal obtained from the administration office of the university attended. Copies attested by organizations/persons not having notarized/legal bearing will not be accepted.

3. Two reference letters: References should be from applicants’ supervisor at work and/or an academic advisor or professor.

4. TOEFL/IELTS certificate (if available): The TOEFL/IELTS test score must be from an examination taken after December 10, 2007. If a score is unavailable, the applicant will be requested to sit for a TOEFL/IELTS examination prior to receiving a final decision on the scholarship award (English Program only).

5. Admission letter or enrollment certificate of the University of Choice.

All submitted application material must be presented in English or be accompanied by an official English translation. The material will be considered under the control of the IMF and provided to the relevant school(s) and the Government of Japan as it sees appropriate. None of the material will be returned to applicants.

Application material should be sent by mail to the IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (see address below).

Download: JISPA Brochure
http://www.imf.org/external/oap/index.htm

Application Notice:

The application for the partnership-track in 2010-2011 academic year is now open. An on-line application will be made available by the mid-October, 2009.

For further information on the application procedure, please contact:


Japan-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia
IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
21st Floor Fukoku-Seimei Building
2-2-2 Uchisaiwai-cho Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0011, Japan
Tel. +81 3 3597-6708
Fax +81 3 3597-6705
Email: jisais@imf.org

Source: http://scholarization.blogspot.com/2009/10/japan-japan-imf-scholarship-program-for.html

cambodia-laos-vietnam triangle

Việt Nam, Kampuchea, Lào ký hiệp ước về biên giới

27/08/2008

Việt Nam, Kampuchea và Lào đã ký với nhau một hiệp ước xác định giao điểm đường biên giới giữa 3 nước, mở đường để ba nước hợp tác thêm nữa trong công cuộc phát triển và mang lại những lợi ích chung.

Tân Hoa Xã cho hay theo tinh thần bản hiệp ước ký kết hôm thứ Ba tại Hà Nội, 3 nước sẽ tiếp tục làm việc về những vấn đề liên hệ tới việc xác định rõ đường biên giới trên bộ và củng cố hệ thống mốc giới trên tuyến biên giới Việt Nam, Lào và Kampuchea.

Lên tiếng trong buổi lễ tiếp đón Bộ Trưởng cao cấp phụ trách vấn đề biên giới của Hội Đồng Bộ Trưởng Kampuchea Var Kim Hong và Thứ Trưởng Ngoại Giao Lào Phongsavat Bupha, Thủ Tướng Việt Nam Nguyễn Tấn Dũng nói rằng 3 nước nên cùng nhau hoạt động để xây dựng hòa bình, thân hữu, hợp tác và phát triển trên đường biên giới để phục vụ cho chương trình phát triển tam giác giữa ba nước Việt Nam, Lào và Kampuchea.

Bộ trưởng Kampuchea cho biết nước ông sẽ gia tăng hợp tác với Việt Nam trong việc đánh dấu đường biên giới và cắm cột mốc. Ông tỏ ý hy vọng ít nhất 100 cột mốc sẽ được cắm trên ranh giới 2 nước trong năm nay, và việc cắm mọi cột mốc cần thiết sẽ hoàn tất năm 2012.

Thứ Trưởng Bộ Ngoại Giao Lào khẳng định là Lào sẽ thúc đây sự hợp tác trong việc cắm mốc biên giới trên đường ranh giới của hai nước để giúp gia tăng phát triển doanh thương, du lịch và trao đổi hoạt đông giữa những người sống dọc vùng biên giới.

Theo hiệp ước giao điểm đường biên giới giữa 3 nước được Thứ Trưởng Ngoại Giao Việt Nam Vũ Dũng ký kết với các ông Var Kim Hong và Phongsavat Bupha, giao điểm này được xác định tại một đỉnh núi có độ cao 1,086 mét so với mặt nước biển, nơi tỉnh Kontum của Việt Nam, tỉnh Attapu của Lào và tỉnh Rattanakiri của Kampuchea tiếp giáp nhau.
Japan commits to assist Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam
HANOI, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Japan remains strong commitment to providing assistance to the Development Triangle Area of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam (CLV), the Lao newspaper Vientiane Times reported Wednesday.

The commitment was made by Ishikane Kimihiro, deputy head of the Southeast and Southwest Asian Department of Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the third CLV-Japan working level meeting held in Vientiane.

The meeting was to review the implementation of cooperation activities funded by Japan and draw up future direction to attract more direct investment of Japan to the triangle area, said the newspaper.

Kimihiro said that his country's assistance would contribute to stability and prosperity of the CLV countries in particular and that of Asia in general.

Japan has so far provided 20 million U.S. dollars for development related to the triangle, said Ya Seng, an official from Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The development triangle area is located in the border areas of the three CLV countries that share many common factors. These include untapped natural resources, potential for economic development and similar socio-cultural conditions.
VietNamNet Bridge - Strong pledges were made at a two-day meeting on trade and investment promotion into the “Development Triangle” comprising 10 border provinces of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia concluded in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on Feb. 17.

Pledges showed the three countries’ resolve to boost investment into the region, strengthen internal link and put into full use potential and available resources of each and every province for economic development, especially production of commodities.

“No stone will be left unturned so as to reach the goal for high and sustainable economic growth ratified by the Prime Ministers of the three countries in Vientiane , Laos , on November 28, 2004,” they said in an agreement.

The Vietnamese head delegate, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Bich Dat, said the country has issued open policies, offered numerous stimuli and upgraded infrastructure facilities to boost investment from the three countries as well as other countries into the Vietnamese provinces lying in the “Development Triangle.”

“The Vietnamese Government has also taken measures to encourage domestic investors to invest in Lao and Cambodian provinces lying in the Development Triangle,” he added.

The meeting, the second of its kind to date, was marked with a speech by Senior Minister and Trade Minister of Cambodia Cham Prasith. He emphasised the important role played by the “Development Triangle of Cambodia , Laos and Vietnam ” in the socio-economic development of each province in the region and the common future of the three countries as well.

He said the conference would be a good opportunity for businesses and authorities from the three countries’ provinces sharing the borderline to promote trade and investment so as to turn the “Development Triangle” into a region of socio-economically sustainable development.

The meeting drew in over 100 businesses, plus authorities, from the three countries who shared experiences and informed each other with their own countries’ policies and stimuli for foreign investment.

The region has been highly evaluated for its great potential in hydro-power industry, mining, industrial crops growing and processing, and tourism.
(Source: VNA)

Policy Recommendations from 8th Japan-ASEAN Dialogue

Policy Recommendations on
“Japan-ASEAN Cooperation amid the Financial and Economic Crisis”
to the Governments of Japan and ASEAN Member Countries
by
The 8th Japan-ASEAN Dialogue
co-sponsored by GFJ and ASEAN-ISIS
Tokyo, 10-12 September 2009


One year after the global financial crisis erupted in the United States, Japan and ASEAN have experienced adverse impacts on their economies, which have differed in scale and severity from country to country, and responded with monetary and fiscal policy expansion and financial sector-support measures. Japan and ASEAN economies have shown resilience and are now experiencing a nascent recovery, helped by government measures and expenditures which, in a number of cases, have been beyond the norm.

Looking ahead, Japan and ASEAN face challenges to ensure their recovery and growth is sustained. These challenges will mean that countries in the region may not return to the economic paradigm that existed prior to the crisis, with such a predominant dependence on external demand from markets in the West, especially the US.

Instead, Japan and ASEAN member countries must strengthen their cooperation, seek new and more diverse growth engines and rebalance their economies. In rebalancing their economies, measures to increase domestic and regional demand must be considered as the key priority for the medium to longer term. These efforts will require intensive economic and financial cooperation and will contribute to the greater integration and resilience of the Asian economy and the creation of an East Asian Community.

The 8th Japan-ASEAN Dialogue co-sponsored by the Global Forum of Japan and the ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies wishes to present its policy recommendations to the Governments of Japan and ASEAN　member countries as follows:

Resilience, Transparency and Enhanced Cooperation
1. Japan and ASEAN should resist the temptation of protectionism of any form and refrain from introducing new barriers that can prevent a free flow of trade and investment. Working together and with other institutions and in intergovernmental forums such as APEC and ASEAN Plus Three, Japan and ASEAN should strengthen their monitoring work on measures that might reduce freer trade, including non-tariff barriers, and promote trade facilitation and other efforts to help increase trade and investment flows.

2. Japan and ASEAN should give consideration and support to expansion of mechanisms such as the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM), to strengthening of financial oversight and stability, and to development of early warning systems among Asian economies.

3. A key factor to maintain and increase resilience is to strengthen governance (or government quality), compliance and transparency. This is especially needed where government expenditures have been substantially increased as a response to the crisis. It can also be a factor in attracting and enabling the flow of foreign direct investment. Japan and ASEAN should address such issues as corruption, red tape and other malpractices to improve business environments.

Towards a Balanced Growth
4. Economic and financial policies and stimulus packages are playing key roles in the present nascent recovery and should be maintained for the present so that recovery can take root. However, such policies and measures cannot be sustained indefinitely. As such, Japan and ASEAN should start to review existing fiscal and monetary policies in order to develop credible and coherent exit strategies.

5. Even as a nascent recovery is beginning, most analyses are that household consumption in the US and Europe will not resume at pre-crisis levels. Japan and ASEAN should therefore not predicate their future growth on the assumption that such markets will remain a predominant source of growth for export-oriented Asian economies. Instead, the region should seek out new markets—such as those created by the rising middle-class in emerging Asia—and aim, in the medium to longer term, to rebalance growth toward greater domestic and regional demand.

6. Recognizing this need to develop domestic and regional demand in Asia, the governments of Japan and ASEAN should pursue policies with the aim of increasing disposable income and personal consumption on a sustainable basis. In particular, ｔhey should consider fundamental reform of social safety nets to provide households with greater certainty and security about their future and, thus, help reduce precautionary savings.

7. Increasing productivity, skills and knowledge of people will be critical to rebalance the East Asian economies in the medium and long term. As such, Japan and ASEAN should continue to strengthen the capacity of their people, especially their workers. Governments must invest in education, training and other skill-building activities to help the labor force adapt and gain from participating in the changing global economy.

8. Attracting and enabling foreign direct investment by both FDI receiving and FDI exporting countries will be another important way to sustain growth for the future. Japan and ASEAN member countries should review and improve their regulatory frameworks for FDI.

Areas to be strengthened for Japan-ASEAN Cooperation
9. In moving toward a regional demand-oriented economy in East Asia, Japan and ASEAN should embark upon the following areas of cooperation:
1) East Asia-wide Economic Partnership Agreement
By consolidating various existing free trade and economic partnership agreements into an integrated, single East Asia-wide agreement, greater trade and investment opportunities will be created.
2) Facilitation of Long-term Potential Areas
Investment should be facilitated in areas with long-term potential and equal benefit, e.g. soft infrastructure, such as human resources and information and communication technologies (ICT), and hard infrastructures, including domestic and cross-border ones, such as the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Development Program, and green technologies. Public-private partnership (PPP) in infrastructure and other sectors should also be enhanced and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and community-based businesses should participate in, and gain from, these developments.
3) Financial Market Development and Integration
In order to recycle Asia’s high savings for regional investment, the Asian Bond Markets Initiative (ABMI) should be accelerated by establishing a Credit Guarantee and Investment Mechanism (CGIM) to provide guarantees for local currency bond issuance. Other means to increase confidence and interest in Asian local-currency bonds should also be considered to help the capital markets grow and mature.
4) Towards an Asian Monetary Fund (AMF)
The process of Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM) and the establishment of the surveillance unit must be encouraged and strengthened. This has the potential to pave the way for the creation of an AMF, which can play a vital role for financial stability in the crisis by productively utilizing the large foreign reserves held by many Asian economies, and facilitate higher domestic and regional demand.
5) Exchange Rate Policy Cooperation
Japan and ASEAN should strengthen cooperation on exchange rate policy to reduce the risk of intra-regional currency misalignments. This is important because of the resurgence of capital inflows into Asia with increased global financial stability and the tightening of monetary policy as Asian economies recover.
6) Implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint and the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership
While ASEAN should play a vital role in encouraging own market integration, Japan should help ASEAN implement both the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint and the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership for deepening the economic integration amongst the ASEAN member countries and between them and Japan.
7) Integration of ASEAN capital markets
Japan should help ASEAN in its efforts to integrate their capital markets through technical assistance, in order to foster stronger coordination and monitoring processes at both national and regional levels within ASEAN.
8) Setting up of an ASEAN Infrastructure Investment Fund
Japan should support ASEAN in its efforts to create an ASEAN Infrastructure Investment Fund through financial and technical assistance, to strengthen economic capacity in ASEAN member countries.
9) Narrowing the development gap within ASEAN
Japan should support ASEAN in its efforts to promote effective cooperation and mutual assistance to narrow the development gap among ASEAN member countries.
10) Human resource development and education
Japan and ASEAN should stimulate investment in human resource development—such as education—particularly in science, technology and engineering.
11) Improvement in energy efficiency and promotion of renewable resources
Japan and ASEAN should also stimulate investment in green growth. Japan should support ASEAN, particularly in renewable energy development, energy conservation, and environmental improvements, as a way to jointly address climate change.
12) Improvement in food security
Japan should support ASEAN in its efforts to achieve food security, by way of strengthening a regional mechanism in support of food regulation, food control and emergency food assistance.

Increasing Role of Japan
10. Japan has traditionally been a key economic leader in the region with its investment, trade, technology transfer and official development assistance (ODA). Japan should strengthen its links with ASEAN, so that it can benefit from the region’s growth dynamism while supporting this growth through enhanced economic and financial cooperation for the integration of an East Asian Community. In this regard, Japan should pursue the following efforts:
1) Restoring sustainable growth and further opening up its market to ASEAN goods, services, investment and skilled labor.
2) Re-focusing Japan’s Official Development Assistance to support less developed ASEAN member countries in their efforts to cope with the crisis and restructure their economies towards greater integration and connectivity.

- END -