The Asahi Glass Foundation
| Foundation name | The Asahi Glass Foundation |
|---|---|
| Mission | The Asahi Glass Foundation strives to contribute to the creation of a society that can transmit the genuine wealth of human civilization by supporting advanced research and outstanding students as well as by recognizing efforts to solve environmental issues that call for global solutions. |
| Programs |
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History
The Asahi Glass Foundation began in 1933 as the Asahi Foundation for Chemical Industry Promotion, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. (currently, AGC Inc.). For more than 80 years, the Foundation focused primarily on fostering research in the field of applied chemistry.
In 1990, the Foundation undertook an overall redesign of its programs, expanding the scope of its activities and establishing the commendation program. At the same time, it was renamed to the Asahi Glass Foundation.
In 2018, the Foundation took over the scholarship program due to a merger with the Asahi Glass Scholarship Foundation (AGSF). AGSF was established in 1957, granting scholarships to Japanese students. In addition, since 1990, the program has been gradually expanded to include international students from Thailand, Indonesia, China, South Korea, and Vietnam.
In 2024, the Foundation added the Environmental Learning Support Program as a new public-interest initiative.
Overview
| 1933 | The Asahi Foundation for Chemical Industry Promotion is established to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| 1934 | The Foundation is approved as a non-profit organization and begins providing grants to university researchers in applied chemistry. |
| 1957 | Asahi Glass Scholarship Foundation (AGSF) is established to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. |
| 1958 | AGSF begins the scholarship program for Japanese students. |
| 1961 | The Foundation is renamed the Asahi Glass Foundation for Industrial Technology. |
| 1982 | The Foundation starts a research grant program for Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. |
| 1988 | The Foundation begins research grants for Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia. |
| 1990 | The Foundation is renamed the Asahi Glass Foundation. AGSF begins a scholarship program for international students in Japan. |
| 1992 | The Foundation commences awarding of the Blue Planet Prize. Annual survey Questionnaire on Environmental Problems and the Survival of Humankind starts. The Foundation begins a research grant program for the fields of humanities and social sciences. |
| 1993 | Inaugural seminar is held to present findings from Asahi Glass Foundation-assisted research, now an annual event. |
| 1997 | The Foundation publishes A Better Future for the Planet Earth. Since then, the publications are made every 5 years. |
| 2002 | The Foundation organizes the 10th anniversary commemorative lectures Toward the Future of the Blue Planet and publishes Toward the Future of the Blue Planet -10 Year History of the Blue Planet Prize. |
| 2006 | Special Round Table Conference on Global Environment Problems starts. |
| 2008 | Continuation Grants for Young Researchers and Continuation Grants for Outstanding Projects are integrated into the research grant program. |
| 2009 | The corporate status of the Foundation is converted into a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation. The Foundation publishes Our Vision: Conditions for Survival and subsequently issues English, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, and French versions of the publication. |
| 2010 | The Foundation publishes Conditions for Survival - Toward a Solar Energy-Based Society and Conditions for Survival Full of Vibrant Life . |
| 2011 | The Foundation organizes the symposium, Conditions for Survival . |
| 2012 | The Foundation starts research grant program for King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand. The Blue Planet Prize laureates jointly present a paper titled Environment and Development Challenges: The Imperative to Act. AGSF begins a scholarship program for students who suffered hardship caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake. |
| 2014 | The Foundation publishes Environment and Development Challenges: The Imperative to Act. |
| 2017 | The Foundation organizes a +25 years commemorative conference of the establishment of The Blue Planet Prize. |
| 2018 | The Foundation takes over the scholarship program due to a merger with AGSF. A new comic series, Blue Planet Prize Fun School, starts. |
| 2020 | A new program, Research grants for Sustainable Future, starts. The Foundation starts a research grant program for Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Vietnam. af Magazine, a web magazine on the global environment, launches. |
| 2021 | Survey on the Awareness of Environmental Issues Among the General Public starts. |
| 2022 | The Foundation organizes a symposium commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Blue Planet Prize. |
| 2023 | A new program, Special Research Grants for “Blue Planet” Global Environment, starts. Scholarship to support overseas research activities, starts. |
| 2024 | The foundation begins a new scholarship program that supports consecutive Master’s and Doctoral courses (CMD). A scholarship program for students who suffered damage caused by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake is starts. Environmental Learning Support(ELS) program begins “Global Environmental Issues Workshops for the Younger Generations”. |