In 2021, the International Relations Department of I.K. Akhunbaev Kyrgyz State Medical Academy (KSMA) contacted the Kyrgyz-Japanese Center for Human Development (KRJC) in Bishkek to establish cooperation with Japanese higher education institutions and organizations.

On 1 July 2021, an online meeting between representatives of KSMA and Nagasaki University (Japan) was held with the support of KRJC. KSMA was represented by Rector I.O. Kudaibergenova, Vice-Rector for International Relations and Strategic Development G.A. Dzhumalieva, and Head of the International Relations Department T.B. Yusupova. During the meeting, the parties discussed prospects for academic cooperation, including opportunities to implement joint educational programmes and develop human resources.

Following the discussions, the Japanese side expressed its readiness to offer one place to a KSMA graduate under a joint master's degree programme of Nagasaki University and Fukushima Medical University in the field of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

On 12 April 2022, KSMA and Nagasaki University signed an academic cooperation agreement, laying the foundation for further bilateral collaboration in medical education and the training of academic and research personnel.

In 2022, the selection of candidates for study at Nagasaki University under the JICA scholarship programme began. KSMA graduates were given the opportunity to compete for one scholarship place in the master's programme Medical Science Course – Division of Disaster and Radiation Medical Sciences.

These initiatives contributed to expanding academic mobility opportunities, enhancing professional qualifications, and strengthening KSMA's international cooperation with Japanese educational and research institutions.

Candidates Successfully Selected for the JICA Programme at Nagasaki University