Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai Welcomes New Japanese Scholarships for Afghan Youth
Hamid Karzai, the former President of Afghanistan, has welcomed the announcement of Japan’s continued support for Afghanistan’s education and higher studies sectors, including the provision of new scholarships for the country’s youth. He described this initiative as an important opportunity to strengthen Afghanistan’s scientific and educational capacities.
In his recent statement, Karzai said that Japan has been one of Afghanistan’s “longtime and genuine friends” over the past two decades and has provided extensive and unparalleled cooperation in various fields, particularly in strengthening the education system and developing human resources.
According to him, providing academic scholarships plays a fundamental role in training specialized personnel and fostering the growth and prosperity of the country. Karzai expressed his gratitude for Japan’s sincere assistance and considered the country a steadfast partner and collaborator even during difficult times.
The announcement of the new scholarships comes amid ongoing educational restrictions within Afghanistan, especially for girls, which have attracted widespread domestic and international criticism. In this context, facilitating educational opportunities abroad could help address some of the gaps created in the educational system. However, many educational institutions and families continue to call for the Taliban administration to lift restrictions and fully reopen educational centers for all citizens.
Over the past two decades, Japan has invested billions of dollars in Afghanistan’s infrastructure, health, and education sectors and remains one of the leading countries supporting the development of Afghanistan’s human capacity.
