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Inamori Foundation E-mail News, Vol. 003
February 26, 2010
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This E-mail News is distributed to those who have registered subscription or given us a business card.
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01: Information related to the Kyoto Prize
- Messages from the 2009 Kyoto Prize laureates
- Dr. Walter H. Munk to be awarded the Crafoord Prize (January 21)
- Dr. George M. Whitesides to receive the Othmer Gold Medal (January 27)
02: Information related to the Inamori Foundation
- Inamori Fellows complete the first half of a training program
- Obituary
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01. Information related to the Kyoto Prize
-Messages from the 2009 Kyoto Prize laureates
We have uploaded videos of interviews with the four 2009 Kyoto Prize laureates, titled "Messages from the Kyoto Prize Laureates," on the Inamori Foundation Channel (on YouTube). Please take a look at their precious messages about requirements for scientists and advice for the youth as tomorrow's leaders.
○Interview highlights
*Dr. Isamu Akasaki（Semiconductor Scientist）
- Have a dream. Stick to something that you like. -
One thing I am always telling young people is "Have a dream." It could be anything : "Do something that you like." When we come across difficulty or trouble while doing something, we are apt to become discouraged and start to dislike it. This doesn't happen if you are engaged in what you really like. And if you grow to become a leader, you never waver.
+Message from Dr. Isamu Akasaki of the 2009 Kyoto Prize laureate
*Dr. Peter R. Grant（Evolutionary Biologist）
- Creativity comes from curiosity and questions. -
Creativity is the essence of path breaking scientific research, and I think it comes from within a person to be very curious about the natural world and want to be able to answer questions. It's not something that can be taught, but I think what teachers can do, and we as teachers can do is to foster the circumstances where individuals who have that curiosity, that spirit of creativity, to allow that creativity to flourish by asking questions, by being free to ask questions. And also as teachers, I think we have a role to play in encouraging people to explore the world with a creative spirit to be able to find answers to questions.
*Dr. B. Rosemary Grant（Evolutionary Biologist）
- Responsibility for the rapid changes in the environment falls on our shoulders. Coexistence with environment is essential to be able to adopt ourselves to the further changes. -
The environment has always changed in the past. But what is happening today is that the climate is changing very fast and it is due to human activity, which is very different from what happened in the past. We have this responsibility. It's very hard to guess exactly in what way environments will change. But what we can be sure about is that both environments and populations need to be in a position where they are capable of responding to further change.
+Massage from Drs. Peter & Rosemary Grant of the 2009 Kyoto Prize laureate
*Mr. Pierre Boulez（Composer, Conductor）
- We can create something important out of ourselves when we follow our own nature. -
I have to admit that I am not gifted for anything than music. This gift was orienting myself like a magnet, and it reinforces you in the well of doing what you want to do. First, you feel that you are gifted or something, and you will be able to give something important out of yourself. I think you should obey. If you are doing what you want to do, sometimes that's true it is tough, and sometimes it is difficult, but you do not get discouraged completely. When you get difficult days, instinct goes back and will help you always to overcome difficulties.
+Message from Mr. Pierre Boulez of the 2009 Kyoto Prize laureate
-Footage of the 2009 Kyoto Prize Presentation Ceremony
We have made available footage of the 2009 Kyoto Prize Presentation Ceremony. This video digest presents scenes of the proceedings, which include 'Overture to the Ceremony' by the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, 'Celebratory Noh Performance' by the Kongo School, the joyous moments of prize presentation, and 'Choral Performance' by Seibo Elementary School Chorus.
+Inamori Foundation Channel - the 2009 Kyoto Prize - Presentation Ceremony - Digest
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-Dr. Walter H. Munk to be awarded the Crafoord Prize (January 21)
Dr. Walter H. Munk, the 1999 Kyoto Prize laureate in Basic Sciences, is going to be awarded the Crafoord Prize in Geosciences 2010. The Crafoord Prize was instituted in 1980 by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and has been presented each year since 1982 to people who have done outstanding work in fields of scientific research not covered by the Nobel Prize (such as Astronomy, Mathematics, Biosciences, and Geosciences). An oceanographer, Dr. Munk was selected "for his pioneering and fundamental contributions to our understanding of ocean circulation, tides, waves, and their role in the Earth's dynamics." The presentation ceremony will be held in Stockholm on May 11, and Dr. Munk is to receive a cash prize of four million Swedish kronor (about 50 million yen).
+Link to Walter H. Munk / 1999 Kyoto Prize laureate / Basic Sciences / Earth and Planetary Sciences, Astronomy and Astrophysics
-Dr. George M. Whitesides to receive the Othmer Gold Medal (January 27)
Dr. George McClelland Whitesides, the 2003 Kyoto Prize laureate in Advanced Technology, is going to be awarded the 2010 Othmer Gold Medal. This prize was established by the Chemical Heritage Foundation in 1997, and is presented each year to people who have made a vital contribution to the advancement of chemistry through outstanding achievements in the areas of innovation, entrepreneurialism, research, and education. The presentation ceremony is to be held in Philadelphia in April under the sponsorship of the Chemical Heritage Foundation and four of its auxiliary organs. Since last year, Dr. Whitesides has received several awards, including the Benjamin Franklin Medal, the Dreyfus Prize, and the IKCOC Prize. In recent years, his activities have made him a focus of global attention as one of the world's foremost chemists.
+Link to George McClelland Whitesides / 2003 Kyoto Prize laureate / Advanced Technology / Materials Sciences and Engineering
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02: Information related to the Inamori Foundation
-Inamori Fellows complete the first half of a training program
Toshiyuki Yamanaka, Hideo Yoshida, and Kenichi Hara, the three 2009 Inamori Fellows, participated in the first half of a training program at the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C. from the 18th to the 23rd of October. The participants came from Japan and five other countries for discussion with authorities including Dr. David M. Abshire, who founded the CSIS, and Michael J. Green, CSIS Senior Advisor and Japan Chair. The sessions served to deepen understanding on the nature of genuine global leadership as viewed from perspectives including ethics, creativity, and public interest. The second half of the training program is to be held in May of this year.
+[Photo News] The Inamori Fellows at the program in Washington D.C.
-Obituary
Dr. Toshitaka Hidaka, Professor Emeritus of Kyoto University, passed away on November 14 at age 79. Dr. Hidaka had long been a member of the Inamori Foundation Board of Councilors and rendered invaluable service to it. We hereby extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved.
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