The Kyoto Symposium Organization and San Diego Foundation, in collaboration with Japan’s Inamori Foundation, have made applications available for the 2024 Kyoto Prize Scholarships. Named in honor of the Kyoto Prize, Japan’s highest private award for global achievement, these scholarships recognize high school seniors from San Diego County and the greater Tijuana region.
Global entrepreneur and humanitarian, Dr. Kazuo Inamori created the Kyoto Prize, an international award presented by the Inamori Foundation each November to recognize individuals and groups worldwide who have made outstanding contributions to the betterment of the global community and humankind. The Foundation’s activities have their spiritual basis in the founder’s lifelong belief that humankind’s future can be assured only when there’s a balance between our scientific development and our spiritual depth. Click here to learn more.
The scholarships, based on the annual Kyoto Prize categories of Advanced Technology, Basic Sciences, and Arts and Philosophy, will assist three San Diego County and three Tijuana-area students with higher education. They are valued at up to $10,000 each. Scholarship recipients will be recognized at the Kyoto Symposium Organization Gala event in March 2024.
The Kyoto Prize Scholarship is open to:
Graduating high school seniors from San Diego County public, private and parochial high schools who will be enrolled as a full-time student at an accredited four-year university in the United States
Students with a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Students who are actively involved in serving their community
Additional Materials
In addition to the two required Personal Statement Prompts, applicants are required to submit a maximum 500-word essay in response to the following prompt: “Select one of the below 2023 Kyoto Prize Laureates and describe what inspires you most about his/her life achievements, work and contributions to society.”
Dr. Ryuzo Yanagimachi – Advanced Technology
Dr. Elliott H. Lieb – Basic Sciences
Nalini Malini – Arts and Philosophy
Please note: Finalists must provide a copy of their most recent unofficial transcript AND a reference letter (from a teacher, counselor, advisor or coach) PRIOR to their interview. Additionally, students aren’t able to apply for the specific scholarship levels. They are awarded the various grants based on their application ranking by the Scholarship Committee.
Average number of awards: 3 Average amount of each award: Up to $10,000
This scholarship may be used for tuition, books, fees, room & board, and other educational expenses.
How to Apply
For new student applicants who have not accessed our system before, click the “Create New Account” option on the login page to register and configure your login information. Please make sure to use an email address that is not associated with your high school.
Existing users can simply enter their credentials to log in. If you’ve forgotten your password, you can reset it by clicking the “Forgot your Password?” link on the left.
If you’re uncertain whether you’ve already registered, please refrain from creating a new account. Instead, contact Scholarships@sdfoundation.org to retrieve your username.