The Kavli Foundation in the United States receives the University of Tokyo’s Shokumon Award

October 7, 2020
Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU)
 

On October 6, 2020, the University of Tokyo’s Shokumon Award ceremony was held at the Ito Hall of the university’s Hongo Campus. The Shokumon Award* is presented to individuals, corporations, or organizations that have contributed significantly to the development of the University of Tokyo’s activities through donations of private property, volunteer activity, and other kinds of support. The award has been held since 2002.

This year, the Kavli Foundation in the United States has been selected as one of the award-winning organizations. The foundation established an endowment for the Kavli IPMU in 2012**, and has supported the institute by donating the annual dividends of the fund toward the Kavli IPMU’s activities.

Back in 2012, the Kavli Foundation in the United States received the Shokumon Award for its contributions toward the incorporation and operation of the Kavli IPMU as a permanent institute of the University of Tokyo. 

Building upon the initial gift in 2012 of 7.5 million dollars, and additional ongoing operating gifts that so far have totalled 2 million dollars, the Kavli Foundation was able to work with the university to raise even more funds to support the institute. Last year, thanks to president and CEO of the Foundation, Dr. Robert Conn, there was a large increase in donations to the Kavli IPMU, both from the Foundation and the university, bringing the overall total today to more than 20 million dollars.

In recognition of his efforts, Dr. Conn received the second Shokumon Award for his “continuous support since 2012, the progression of human resource development due to the resulting—and outstanding—graduate research program, and the model of increasing capital by managing dividends effectively.”

Upon receiving the 2020 Shokumon Award, Dr. Conn said: “The Kavli Foundation and I are deeply honored to receive the prestigious Shokumon Award. The University of Tokyo and the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU) are wonderful partners. We are proud of the breakthrough research and collaborations that are happening at Kavli IPMU. This world-renowned institute whose members come from around the world is an exemplar of our mission to advance science for the benefit of humanity.”

The Director of the Kavli IPMU Ooguri Hirosi, shared: “We are grateful to the Kavli Foundation and President Conn for their leadership in basic sciences, their partnership with the University of Tokyo, and for their support for the Kavli IPMU. We are very happy that the University of Tokyo has recognized the contributions with the Shokumon Award. We look forward to continued and fruitful collaborations with the Foundation.”

This year’s award was the third time a Kavli IPMU-connected initiative, individual, or organization has been recognized by the Shokumon Award, including Hamamatsu Photonics Co., Ltd., which was recognized for an endowment to establish a professorship at Kavli IPMU in 2017.

Remarks of Robert W. Conn


 

Related content:
The Kavli Foundation receives University of Tokyo’s Shokumon Award

*University of Tokyo article about the 2012 Shokumon Award ceremony (in Japanese).

**The Kavli Foundation article about the 2012 Shokumon Award ceremony.  

Kavli IPMU article about the 2017 Shokumon Award for Hamamatsu Photonics Co., Ltd., which endowed a professorship at the institute.