“AIT’s ADB-JSP scholarship program is one of the most successful schemes”: ADB team

“AIT’s ADB-JSP scholarship program is one of the most successful schemes”: ADB team

Mr. Tatsuya Kanai (left) being felicitated by Ms. Pragya Niraula.

The Asian Development Bank-Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP) at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) is among the most successful scholarship schemes, and the program will continue to offer scholarships to students. These were the sentiments expressed by Mr. Tatsuya Kanai, Senior Advisor, Office of Cofinancing Operations, ADB during this visit to AIT on 4 February 2015.
The scholarship program, which began in 1988, has so far benefitted
334 recipients, and 21 students are currently enrolled at AIT under
this program.Headed by Mr. Kanai, the ADB delegation included Mr. Kazushi Sato,
Senior Financing Partnerships Specialist, and Ms. Eloise Valerie M.
Martinez, Associate Financing Partnerships Officer.Mr. Kanai stated that while the ADB is extremely happy with the
program, it also seeks feedback both from the recipients and AIT on
ways to strengthen the program. He also proposed a system for tracking
the career paths of the ADB scholarship recipients, and stressed on
greater diversity among the scholarship recipients.

The ADB delegation interacted with senior AIT officials led by Prof.
Sivanappan Kumar, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and including
representatives of AIT’s three schools. They also met the
Head-Students, AIT Admissions and Scholarship Office, AIT Finance
Office, and held two separate meetings with ADB scholarship recipients.
They also attended two classroom lectures, one each in “Natural
Resources Economics” and “Digital Communications,” delivered by AIT
faculty members Dr. Damien Jourdain and Dr. Attaphongse
Taparugssanagorn respectively.

Scholarship recipients met the ADB officials and expressed their
gratitude for the scholarship. The students included Ms. Sheila Carillo
Salde (The Philippines), Ms. Umama Zobayer (Bangladesh), Ms. Roshani
Bharati (Nepal), Ms. Amrita Das (Bangladesh), Mr. Matiullah Bahier
(Afghanistan), Ms. Rafia Zaman (Bangladesh), Ms. Oanh Phuong Vo (Viet
Nam), Mr. Md. Mustiafiz Al Manun (Bangladesh), Ms. Pragya Niraula
(Nepal), Mr. Bipun Man Pati (Nepal), Ms. Anita Gautam (Nepal), Mr.
Tristan Guzman Magallones Jr. (The Philippines), Ms. Ranjika Lalani
Perera (Sri Lanka), Ms. Manisha Singh (Nepal), Mr. Bijaya Maharjan
(Nepal), Mr. Sudipta Bain (Bangladesh),  Ms. Kalumith Upeka
Madhavi De Silva (Sri Lanka), Mr. Niraj Bhujel (Nepal), Mr. Hasan Tariq
(Pakistan), Mr. Imran Akbar Khan (Bangladesh), and Mr. Pradeep Baral
(Nepal). Ms. Pragya Niraula also presented a token of appreciation on
behalf of the students.