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San Diego's 12th Annual Kyoto Prize Symposium to Feature "Father of Computer Graphics," Molecular Cell Biologist and Indian Intellectual During Gala and Public Presentations March 12-14
SAN DIEGO --(Business Wire)--
The Inamori Foundation and the Kyoto Symposium Organization today
announced the 12th annual Kyoto Prize Symposium, March 12-14,
2013, in San Diego. Honoring the latest winners of Japan's highest
private award for global achievement, the Kyoto Prize Symposium includes
a private benefit gala highlighting the laureates' lifetime
achievements, followed by free presentations by the laureates that are
open to the public March 13-14 (online registration is required at www.kyotoprize-us.org).
Free transportation to the Symposium events at SDSU, UCSD and USD is
available to high school groups through the online registration form.
Dr. Irwin Jacobs, co-founder of QUALCOMM, will reprise his role as
honorary chairman of the symposium, which begins with media interviews
by appointment at Point Loma Nazarene University, Tuesday, March 12.
"The Kyoto Prize Symposium serves as an extraordinary resource for the
San Diego-Baja region and a source of inspiration for our youth," stated
David Doyle, chairman of the non-profit Kyoto Symposium Organization and
partner of Morrison Foerster in San Diego. "Each year our community is
enriched through the unique presentations by Kyoto Prize laureates -
some of the world's most brilliant pioneers in technology, science and
the arts."
Six high school seniors - three each from San Diego and Tijuana - will
be honored as recipients of the 2013-2014 Kyoto Scholarships, given to
students who have been inspired by the laureates to better society
through their life's work. Valued at $10,000 each, these scholarships
will be presented in the categories of advanced technology, basic
sciences, and arts and philosophy. The scholarships are funded by the
benefit gala, "The Kyoto Prize: Celebrating Outstanding Lifetime
Achievement," which opens the Symposium on March 12 at 5:30 p.m. at the
Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel. Tickets are available at $300 per seat.
Chair of the Opening Ceremonies and Scholarship Gala is Masashi Oka,
president and CEO of Union Bank.
The 28th Kyoto Prize Laureates
� Advanced Technology: Dr.
Ivan Edward Sutherland, 74 (computer scientis; citizenship:
U.S.).
Sutherland is a visiting scientist at Portland State University with
prior leadership positions in private industry and DARPA. His 50-year
career of innovation in computer science began with his 1963 invention
of Sketchpad, a breakthrough application that opened new ways for humans
to interact with computers. Years ahead of its time, Sketchpad served as
the conceptual progenitor to the "graphical user interface" used in
everything from today's smartphones to computer workstations. His work
has supported applications ranging from operating systems to video
editing, animation, 3-D modeling and virtual reality. Sutherland will
speak at San Diego State University, 10:00-11:30 a.m., Wed., March 13.
� Basic Sciences: Dr.
Yoshinori Ohsumi, 67 (molecular cell biologist;
citizenship: Japan).
A scientist, researcher and professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology,
Ohsumi has made groundbreaking contributions to the life sciences by
demonstrating how a living cell can degrade its own proteins in order to
adapt to nutritional deficiency or other environmental influences. This
phenomenon, known as autophagy, is now recognized as a vital
cell-recycling system that may aid in future treatments for conditions
such as Alzheimer's disease, cancer and other age-related ailments.
Ohsumi will speak at University of California San Diego, 3:30-5:00 p.m.,
Wed., March 13.
� Arts and Philosophy: Prof.
Gayatri Spivak, Ph.D., 70 (literary critic and educator;
citizenship: India).
An Indian intellectual, activist and University Professor at Columbia
University, Spivak champions those within our globalized society ?
especially women, minorities, the working class and new immigrants ? who
have been deprived of their voice and their history through unseen
structures of oppression. She is perhaps best known for her essay, "Can
the Subaltern Speak ," a landmark text in the study of post-colonialism.
She plans to donate a portion of her prize funds to rural education in
India. Spivak will speak at University of San Diego, 10:30 a.m.-12:00
p.m., Thurs., March 14.
The
Kyoto Prize
The Kyoto Prize is presented each year by Japan's non-profit Inamori
Foundation to individuals and groups worldwide who have demonstrated
outstanding contributions to the betterment of society, in "Advanced
Technology," "Basic Sciences," and "Arts and Philosophy." The prize
consists of academic honors, a gold medal, and a cash gift of 50 million
yen per category, making it Japan's highest private award for global
achievement.
The
Inamori Foundation
The non-profit Inamori Foundation was established in Kyoto, Japan, in
1984 by Dr. Kazuo Inamori, a humanitarian and founder of both Kyocera
(NYSE:KYO) and KDDI (News - Alert) Corporation. Dr. Inamori created the Kyoto Prize in
reflection of his belief that human beings have no higher calling than
to strive for the greater good of society, and that mankind's future can
be assured only when there is a balance between science, technology and
the human spirit.
The
Kyoto Symposium Organization
The Kyoto Symposium Organization is a San Diego-based 501(c)3 non-profit
organization established to support the Kyoto Prize Symposium and Kyoto
Scholarship programs.
For more information: www.kyotoprize-us.org
Download photos at: www.kyotoprizeusa.com/2012-kyoto-prize-laureate-image-gallery/
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