Honorary Fellowship Award Ceremony Held for Dr. Kazuo Inamori (Chairman Emeritus of Kyocera Corp. & the Inamori Foundation's President) and Nintendo's Advisor Hiroshi Yamauchi (August 28, 2013)

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On July 23, 2013, Kyoto University decided to award its honorary fellowships to Dr. Kazuo Inamori (founder and chairman emeritus of Kyocera Corporation and president of the Inamori Foundation) and Mr. Hiroshi Yamauchi (advisor at Nintendo Co., Ltd.).
The award ceremony was held on August 28.

Whenever it is deemed appropriate for individuals to be commended, Kyoto University may award its honorary fellowship to (1) those who have made outstanding contributions to the university's international exchange efforts; (2) those who have been affiliated with the university as a faculty staff member or student and who have earned high national and international esteem for their outstanding achievements; and (3) those who have made outstanding contributions to the operation and management of the university.

Earlier, on April 15, 2013, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (chairperson and general secretary of Myanmar's National League for Democracy) was the first person in Kyoto University's history to be presented with the honorary fellowship.

This year, Dr. Inamori and Mr. Yamauchi were awarded honorary fellowships for their outstanding contributions to the operation and management of Kyoto University.

At the award ceremony, after presenting the certificates and plaques, President Hiroshi Matsumoto expressed his gratitude to the two honorary fellows: "You have given tremendous support to Kyoto University, helping it to grow as a center of scholarship." In response, Dr. Inamori stated: "It is thanks to the scholars at Kyoto University that the Inamori Foundation's Kyoto Prize has been recognized throughout the world. Wanting simply to do something in return, I chose to cooperate with the university. As a result, I now feel it is more than I deserve to be awarded this title. I would like to work even harder to live up to the title." On behalf of Mr. Yamauchi who was unable to attend the ceremony, President Satoru Iwata of Nintendo read his message: "It is indeed a great honor for me to be given this honorary fellowship from a most prestigious university in Japan. I hope that Kyoto University will continue producing many talented individuals who will shine on the global stage."

The ceremony was concluded after a commemorative photo was taken of President Matsumoto, Dr. Inamori and President Iwata, along with the executive vice-presidents and others who were in attendance.


Mr. Yamauchi

Dr. Inamori

President Matsumoto (left) presenting an honorary fellowship to President Iwata (right), attending on Mr. Yamauchi's behalf

President Matsumoto (left) presenting Dr. Inamori (right) with an honorary fellowship

Commemorative photo
Plaques that were presented to the recipients