Japan-Backed Scholars Reunite in Jakarta as Global Education Bonds Keep Growing

Twenty-one alumni of the Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) joined nearly 200 former scholarship recipients in Jakarta in June 2026, turning the gathering into a warm celebration of education, friendship and the professional connections built through Japan's support for students from developing countries.

Organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the event welcomed Indonesian alumni from scholarship programs supported by the Government of Japan and administered by the World Bank Group, ADB, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Graduates from different institutions and professional backgrounds shared one common experience: receiving an opportunity to study, develop valuable skills and return home with knowledge that could serve their communities.

Education support that travels home with every graduate

Japan's scholarship partnerships have helped professionals pursue graduate education that might otherwise have remained beyond their reach, giving them access to academic training, international networks and ideas that can be adapted to challenges in their own countries.

Between 1988 and 2024, Japan contributed $220 million to ADB's scholarship program, supporting more than 4,400 scholars from 37 countries and regions. Its support for JJ/WBGSP carries the same belief that investing in capable people can strengthen public institutions, businesses, research communities and development initiatives far beyond the university campus.

Alumni connections become part of the investment

Kanya Sasradipoera, Deputy Director of the ADB Indonesia Resident Mission, said the partnership between ADB and the Japanese government has supported development through infrastructure, economic growth and investment in people. Her remarks reflected a central message of the reunion: scholarships create value not only through qualifications, but through the work graduates undertake after returning home.

The Jakarta gathering gave alumni space to reconnect with former classmates, meet graduates from other Japanese-supported programs and exchange experiences from their careers. These relationships can open doors to professional cooperation, mentoring and the sharing of practical knowledge across institutions and sectors.

Shared trust keeps partnerships alive after graduation

Mitsuru Myochin, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim at the Embassy of Japan in Indonesia, described person-to-person connections, mutual trust and shared aspirations as the foundation of the partnership. His words captured the personal character of an event built around people whose educational journeys continue to influence their professional lives.

For the 21 JJ/WBGSP alumni in attendance, the reunion offered more than a chance to remember their years of study. It showed how one scholarship can grow into years of public service, leadership and collaboration, while the friendships formed along the way continue connecting individuals and countries well beyond graduation.