Kazuo Inamori

Dr. Kazuo Inamori "was born in 1932 in Kagoshima. He graduated from Kagoshima University in 1955 and has received honorary doctorates from several universities in the U.S., the U.K., and Japan. In 1959 he established Kyocera Corporation, which has grown into a well-known international firm supplying a wide range of products from electronic components to consumer products such as cellular phones and cameras. In 1984, quickly responding to deregulation of the telecommunications industry, he founded DDI Corporation (currently called KDDI, the second largest common carrier in Japan). He established The Inamori Foundation in 1984 using his own funds and also the Kyoto Prizes, international awards that honor significant contributors to humanity in the fields of Advanced Technology, Basic Sciences, and Arts and Philosophy. Dr. Inamori is a member of several overseas civic and professional organizations, including the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. His representative books include A Passion for Success and For People and For Profit."

• Carnegie Medals of Philanthropy (2003 Winner)