The Kavli Foundation Receives University of Tokyo’s Shokumon Award

by The Kavli Foundation

The award honors individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to the university

The University of Tokyo’s Shokumon Award ceremony was held on October 6, 2020, at the Ito Hall of the university’s Hongo Campus with Bob Conn participating virtually from his home in California.​

The Author

The Kavli Foundation

At the University of Tokyo, the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, known as Kavli IPMU, brings together physicists, mathematicians and astronomers to explore fundamental questions about the universe. First established in 2007 under a Japanese government initiative as the Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (IPMU), the institute received an endowment from The Kavli Foundation in early 2012 and became the Kavli IPMU.

Building upon the initial gift of $7.5M, The Kavli Foundation worked with the university to raise additional funds to support the institute. In 2019, Kavli IPMU saw a large increase in donations, both from the foundation and the university, bringing the institute’s endowment to more than $20M.

In recognition of these efforts, the university is honoring The Kavli Foundation with the 2020 Shokumon Award for “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.”

“The Kavli Foundation and I are deeply honored to receive the prestigious Shokumon Award,” said Conn, who will retire at the end of the year after 12 years as president and CEO of The Kavli Foundation. “The University of Tokyo and the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU) are wonderful partners. We are very 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.”

This is the second time the foundation has been a recipient of the University of Tokyo’s Shokumon Award. The award honors individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to the university. In 2012, The Kavli Foundation received the Shokumon Award for contributions toward the incorporation and operation of the Kavli IPMU as a permanent institute of the University of Tokyo.