JAPANESE GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS EAST TIMORESE STUDENTS

The Japanese Government has contributed US$658,000 to fund East Timorese students in Indonesia.

The money, donated to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in a ceremony in Jakarta last week, will be used to support 300 East Timorese students in Indonesia through a scholarship program for this academic year, coordinated by UNTAET.

The sum will cover tuition fees, living allowances and other expenditures for the students at universities and other tertiary educational institutions throughout Indonesia, as well as additional needs for students already supported by the Indonesian Government and the Ford Foundation.

The purpose of the scholarship is to meet the present and future human resource needs in East Timor. It is also expected that the support will encourage interaction between Indonesian and East Timorese youth, which in turn will strengthen the relationship between the two countries.