Aboutthe Asahi

GlassFoundation

ProfileThe Asahi
the Asahiresearch

GlassFoundation

GlassCo., Ltd.,

grant program

was establishedcelebrated

focusedin 1933 to commemoratein 1932.

solelyFor moreon providing

thanfinancial

the 25th anniversary

eightyyears,

assistanceof

the Foundation'sin the field of appliedchemistry.

In response to major industrial, economic and social changes in the late twentiethcentury, and recognizing that new research was becoming increasingly advanced, globallyoriented and interdisciplinary, the Foundation in 1992 augmented its activities by introducing
a commendation program to recognize and reward profound research and practice in the areaof world environmental conservation. This change is designed not only to further the study ofsciences but also to promote research and practices that will serve the world community into
the future.
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naturalsciences,innovative

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this end, it supports
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issue

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research
to solve

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andthe world.

The Asahi Glass Foundation's
home
is in Tokyo's
Science Plaza Building.

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Program Overview
1. Research Grant Program
a. Research Encouragement Grantsb. Continuation Grants for Young Researchersc. Continuation Grants for Outstanding Projects
d. Environmental Research: The Kondo Grant
e. Overseas Research Grants (Thailand and Indonesia)
f. Research Grant Presentation Ceremony and Seminar on Research Findings
2. Commendation Programa. Blue Planet Prize, an international environmental award• Awards ceremony• Commemorative lectures
b. Other environment-related activities• Annual survey: “Questionnaire on Environmental Problems and the Survival ofHumankind”• Information about environment-related events, including Round Table Conference onGlobal Environment Problems and publications
3. Publications
a. Annual Report & af Newsb. Related issues for Research Grant Program and Commendation Program
URL:http://www.af-info.or.jp/enx

Financial Information
Total assets of the Foundation at the end of fiscal 2012 amounted to ¥27.9 billion. The budget
for activities in fiscal 2012 is ¥761 million.

History
1933
1934

1961
1982
1988
1990

1992

1993

1994
1997
2002

The Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., establishes the Asahi Foundation for Chemical
Industry Promotion.
The Asahi Foundation for Chemical Industry Promotion gains recognition as anonprofit organization and increases its basic endowment to ¥1 million.
The Foundation begins extending research grants to university researchers in thefield of applied chemistry.
The Foundation changes its name to the Asahi Glass Foundation for Industrial
Technology.
The Foundation begins research grants for Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.
The Foundation begins research grants for Institut Teknologi Bandung,Indonesia.
To support the expansion of its activities, the Foundation revises its funding
program and changes its name to the Asahi Glass Foundation.
The Foundation begins extending comprehensive research grants.
The first annual Blue Planet Prize awards ceremony is held.
The first annual “Questionnaire on Environmental Problems and the Survival ofHumankind” is conducted.
The Foundation begins providing research grants to the fields of humanities andsocial sciences.
The first seminar presenting findings from Foundation-granted research inThailand is held at Chulalongkorn University.
The Foundation begins issuing a semiannual newsletter, af News, in Japaneseand English.
The first seminar presenting findings from Foundation-granted research is held.
The first seminar on Foundation-assisted research in Indonesia is held at theInstitut Teknologi Bandung.
The foundation inaugurated an Endowed Chair in Chemical Engineering at theUniversity of Oklahoma.
The Foundation publishes Zaidan 60 Nen no Ayumi, a history of its first 60years, in Japanese.
The Foundation issues A Better Future for the Planet Earth, a publicationcommemorating the fifth anniversary of the Blue Planet Prize.
The Foundation commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Blue Planet Prize.
Publication of Toward the Future of the Blue Planet -10-Year History of the Blue
Planet Prize ;10th anniversary commemorative lectures.
Publication of A Better Future for the Planet Earth Vol. II.

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2006
2007
2008

2009
2010

2011
2012

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The Foundation begins “Special Round Table Conference on Global Environment
Problems.”
Publication of A Better Future for the Planet Earth Vol. III.
The Foundation commences Continuation Grants for Young Researchers,Continuation Grants for Outstanding Projects and a Task-Oriented Researchgrants.
Publication of Our Vision: Conditions for Survival (in Japanese and English).
The Foundation becomes a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation.
Publication of Conditions for Survival : Toward a “Solar Energy-Based Society”
Full of Vibrant Life (in Japanese and English).
The Foundation begins new grant program “Environmental Research: TheKondo Grant”.
Publication of Conditions for Survival (in Chinese & in Korean).
Symposium “Conditions for Survival” held.
The Blue Planet Prize laureates jointly presented a paper titled Environment andDevelopment Challenges: The Imperative to Act.

Directors and Councillors

As of April 10, 2013

DirectorsChairman
Tetsuji Tanaka
Former Senior Executive Vice President, Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.
Senior Executive Director
Shunichi Samejima
Former Head of Secretariat, the Asahi Glass Foundation;
Former Chief Executive, F2 Chemicals; Former Director, Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.
Trustees
Yoshihiro Hayashi
Director General, The National Museum of Nature and Science,
Director General, Yamashina Institute for Ornithology

Kazuhiko Ishimura
President & CEO, Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.
Kakutaro Kitashiro
Senior Advisor, IBM Japan, Ltd.
Yukiharu Kodama
President, The Mechanical Social Systems Foundation;
Former Administrative Vice-minister of International Trade and Industry
Hideo Miyahara
Professor Emeritus, former President, Osaka University
Terunobu Miyazaki
Professor Emeritus, Tohoku University
Akio Morishima
Special Research Advisor, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies;
Professor Emeritus, Nagoya University
Hachiro Nakanishi
Auditor, Professor Emeritus, Tohoku University
Ryoji Noyori
President, RIKEN

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Kenjiro Omura
Professor Emeritus, University of Tsukuba
Shigeru Takahashi
Professor, Executive Vice President, Hitotsubashi University
Kenzo Tanaka
Chairman, Board of Trustees, Fukuoka Gakuen;
Professor Emeritus, former President, Kyushu University
Hiroyuki Yoshikawa
Director-General, Center for Research and Development Strategy,
Japan Science and Technology Agency;
Former President, Science Council of Japan;
Former President, The University of Tokyo
Auditors
Shigemitsu Miki
Senior Advisor, former Chairman, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.;
Former President, The Mitsubishi Bank, Ltd.

Takashi Terashima
Former Corporate Auditor, Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.
Councillors

Masuo Aizawa
Professor Emeritus, former President, Tokyo Institute of Technology
Yohichi Gohshi
Former President, National Institute for Environmental Studies;
Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo
Michiko ImaiDirector, Le Verseau Inc.
Ryozo KatoCommissioner, Nippon Professional Baseball Organization;
Former Ambassador to the United States of America
Hiroshi Komiyama
Chairman, Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc.;
Former President, The University of Tokyo
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Minoru Makihara
Senior Corporate Advisor, former Chairman, Mitsubishi Corporation
Mamoru Mohri
Executive Director, National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation;
AstronautKeiko Nakamura
Director General, JT Biohistory Research Hall
Yuji Nishimi
Senior Executive Vice President, Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.
Hitoshi Osaki
Special advisor to the President, National Institutes for the Humanities;
Former Commissioner for Cultural Affairs
Niro Shimada
Former Chief Justice, the Supreme Court of Japan
Tsukasa Shimizu
Chairman, Tokyo Kasei University;
Professor Emeritus, former President, Waseda University
Yuichi Shionoya
Professor Emeritus, former President, Hitotsubashi University
Yoshiaki Tamura
Executive Vice President, Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.
Kazuo Tsukuda
Senior Executive Adviser, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

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