Dr. Kazuo Inamori

Dr. Inamori was born in 1932 in Kagoshima. He graduated from Kagoshima University in 1955 and began his own company at the early age of 27 years old. What began as the Kyoto Ceramic Co. in 1959 has grown into the multinational, multifaceted, high-technology Kyocera Corporation.

In 1984 he also founded KDDI, which has become Japan's second largest telecommunications carrier. That same year he established the Inamori Foundation using $200 million of his personal funds. The foundation's objectives are to "contribute to the peace and prosperity of humankind by promoting academic and cultural development as well as international mutual understanding." He has subsequently contributed $300 million more to the foundation. Dr. Inamori also launched the Kyoto Prizes, international awards that honor significant contributors to humanity in the fields of Advanced Technology, Basic Sciences, and Arts and Philosophy. Some notable laureates include, linguist Noam Chomsky, astronomer Jan Hendrik Oort, composer John Cage, primatologist Jane Goodall, and artist Roy Lichtenstein, to name a few.

Through these awards and other philanthropic endeavors, Dr. Inamori practices his belief "that there is no higher calling than to work for the greater good of all humankind." His outlook and his actions echo Andrew Carnegie's doctrine that private wealth should be used for the public good.

Dr. Inamori's achievements are the result of his unique management philosophy that depends on mutual trust, a passion for success, and Dr. Inamori's conviction that, as human beings, we must constantly maintain a spirit of seeking out what is good and continuously striving for our ideals. The same year that he established the Inamori Foundation, he promoted education by endowing the Kyocera Chair of Ceramics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and shortly thereafter established similar chairs at Case Western Reserve University and the University of Washington.

Dr. Inamori has promoted cultural exchange through Kyocera's HORIZON tours, which has allowed hundreds of grade-school American children to visit Japan to learn about the Japanese culture.

In 1995 Dr. Inamori wrote his book, A Passion For Success, which outlines his philosophy on the key to success. It resonates strikingly with Andrew Carnegie's Gospel. In it Dr. Inamori reflects:"If you happen to have [leadership] talents, you should use them for the world, for society, and for the group, but never just for yourself...."

In 1997, Dr. Inamori was able to fulfill his longtime dream to enter the Buddhist priesthood, the ultimate expression of his devotion to giving back. He now spends much of his time studying how humans can reach their highest potential

For many years, Dr. Inamori has been highly committed to finding solutions to urgent world problems. Most recently, in 2002, he co-founded The Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy at the Center for Strategic & International Studies headquartered in Washington, D.C. The academy promotes a better understanding of leadership among individuals, within institutions, across borders, and between generations via seminars and talks conducted by international leaders in government and business. Participants learn about the challenges and successes in leaderships from specific examples from around the world and thus explore the "intersection of leadership and international policy."

When he was recently asked what his future goals were, he remarked, "As long as I live, I would like to continue to contribute to the material and spiritual happiness of humanity and society."