Project Reach: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Turkish government invited students from Central Asia to study on government-funded scholarships. Following that, however a combination of high inflation and the plummeting Turkish lira combined to drive scholars into poverty. Thus, since 2003 The Nippon Foundation provided financial backing for the Environment Foundation of Turkey (EFT), which until fiscal 2005 administered the program. In fiscal 2006, control of the program passed from EFT to the Japan Turkey Central Asia Friendship Association, or JATCAFA. In addition to foundation support, scholarship students also receive a stipend of approximately 80 dollars from the Turkish government.

Logo of JATCAFA

The overarching goal of the program is to build personnel networks between Central Asia and Japan, and provides scholarships to students from Central Asia who are studying at universities in Istanbul and Ankara. Students are chosen who are seen to have potential to initiate positive change in their home countries after graduation. During their scholarship term, the students will also participate in cultural seminars to learn and become familiar with the Japanese culture and language.

The 2009 group of students has been posted on this site, and can be accessed via the link below.

Scholarship Program for Central Asian University Students in Turkey 2008