IMF Scholarship Alumni Reunite, Refresh and Reengage in Japan

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Canonical URL: IMF Scholarship Alumni Reunite, Refresh and Reengage in Japan

International Monetary Fund
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Press Officer: Yuko Maeda
Tel: 81-(0)3-3597-6719
Email: oapmedia@imf.org

Event date and location: March 29, 2019, Yokohama.
Purpose: A 10-day continuing education program (JISPA Continuing Education, JISPA-CE) to refresh macroeconomic policymaking skills, support career advancement, and promote regional economic integration and cooperation.
Arrival date for participants: Arriving on 19 March.

Number of participants: 22 alumni.
Country coverage: Alumni from 13 Asian countries.
Alumni career stages: Graduates from JISPA as early as 1998 holding senior positions in central banks, ministries, and other government offices.
Example attendee: Mr. Mann Souk, Deputy Director of Statistics at the National Bank of Cambodia, who graduated from Yokohama National University in 2003 with an MBA and was one of 53 graduates of the university under the JISPA scholarship.

Lead instructor: Senior Economist Geoffrey Heenan of the IMF Institute for Capacity Development.
Topics covered in lectures: growth diagnostics; external debt sustainability; external position assessment (lecture referenced).
Format: Each lecture was coupled with an interactive workshop; participants were grouped to share views and experiences.
Additional contributors: Professor Masahiko Takeda of Hitotsubashi University; Director Tetsuya Harada of the Credit Risk Analysis Division with the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Capstone activity: Each participant group shared their assessment of the model economy used for the course, applying refreshed analytical and policy formulation skills.

Reunion and networking: Many participants reunited with old friends and former classmates during the 10-day stay.
Alumni institutional engagement: Example—Mr. Mann Souk was invited to a dinner with the university president along with two other alumni to reconnect with their alma mater.
Participant feedback: “It is nice to be back in Yokohama,” said Mr. Mann Souk. “It feels great to be attached to my university, even years after graduation.” “The program itself was very intensive, but very useful. Once I return, I will try to teach what I have learned to my colleagues, especially junior staff.”

JISPA-CE inception: The continuing education program was first introduced in 2018, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the scholarship program.
JISPA description: A specialized scholarship for junior officials of Asian economies to pursue graduate-level degrees in Japan.
Alumni scale: JISPA has produced more than 700 alumni since its inception in 1993.