In recognition of this evening’s presenting sponsor, Inamori Foundation of Kyoto, Japan

Kazuo Inamori believed that a human being has no higher calling than to strive for the greater good of humanity and the world. With that tenet, he established the non-profit Inamori Foundation in 1984 with a personal endowment of 20 billion yen.

Since its inception, the Foundation’s Kyoto Prize, an international award named after Japan’s original thousand-year capital and cultural center, has been awarded to individuals and groups worldwide who have made extraordinary contributions in the fields of technology, the sciences, arts and philosophy.

“It is my sincere hope that the Kyoto Prize may serve to encourage the cultivation of both our scientific and spiritual sides. At the same time, nothing would be more gratifying than if it provided some small impetus for the construction of a new philosophical paradigm.”

Inamori believed that humankind’s future may be best assured through the proper balance of scientific advancement and deeper spiritual understanding. The Kyoto Prize is an extension of that belief, and is now recognized as one of the most prestigious international prizes of its kind.