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Chairman's Message:
Celebrating Outstanding Human Achievement
Since 2002, San Diegans have witnessed exciting developments in the birth and growth of the Kyoto Prize Symposium.
As the only annual event outside of Asia honoring the recipients of the international Kyoto Prize, our Symposium reflects the unique friendship that the United States enjoys with Japan. San Diego is a particular beneficiary of this friendship through its relationship with Dr. Kazuo Inamori – Japan's leading entrepreneur and humanitarian, and founder of the Kyoto Prize – whose vision has supported our region's prosperity since the early 1970s. It is my pleasure to assist in hosting this Symposium in North America to celebrate the Inamori Foundation's annual Kyoto Prize laureates and their remarkable contributions to society.
This year brings the 25th annual Kyoto Prize ceremony, a special milestone in the history of Japan's non-profit Inamori Foundation. Since 1985, when it was first bestowed as a special commemorative award to the Nobel Foundation of Sweden, the Kyoto Prize has been presented to 77 individuals and groups worldwide, including 33 Americans.
As a part of this tradition of celebrating outstanding human achievement, San Diego's Kyoto Prize Symposium has hosted some of the world's greatest minds – people who have made lasting contributions to technology, science and the arts, and in the process, made our world a better place.
I extend my sincerest thanks to our many supporters, including our Planning and Communications Committee, Gala Host Committee, and scores of volunteers, for helping to make our Symposium possible. Since 2004, the generous contributions of our sponsors and partners have allowed us to present a total of 36 Kyoto Scholarships, valued at $10,000 each, to high school students from the greater San Diego / Tijuana region. Your contributions help create a better future by recognizing top students who have been inspired by the Kyoto Prize laureates – and helping to make their dreams of a college education come true. At the same time, your support makes it possible for an international audience to meet the Kyoto Prize laureates, hear their life stories and learn about their history-making achievements in person.
Mark your calendar for our next Kyoto Prize Symposium events, April 20-22, 2010, at San Diego State University; University of California, San Diego; and University of San Diego. I hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Robert B. Horsman
- Chairman of the Board
- Kyoto Symposium Organization
- Regional Chairman, U.S. Bank