Professor Hiroshi Amano of the Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, has been selected to receive the 2014 Order of Cultural Merit and Persons of Cultural Merit, according to an announcement by the Japanese government on Friday, October 24, 2014.
The Order of Cultural Merit is awarded to persons who have made remarkable achievements in developing and improving scientific technology and culture, while the Persons of Cultural Merit, one of the nation’s highest honors second only to the Order of Cultural Merit, is awarded to persons who have made a significant contribution to the development and enrichment of culture in Japan. Professor Amano is receiving these awards for his joint contribution with former Nagoya University Professor Isamu Akasaki, who received the Order of Cultural Merit in 2011, to the success of the development of the world’s first blue light-emitting diode (LED) basic technologies, and to the LED’s practical use.
At a press conference held in Nagoya University on the same day of the announcement, Professor Amano showed his joy at receiving the award and expressed his determination as a recipient to be one of the people who will lead Japan forward.
Also, as a person associated with our University, Dr. Kazuo Koike, former professor of the School of Economics, Nagoya University, has been selected to receive the 2014 Persons of Cultural Merit in recognition of his distinguished efforts in a wide range of fields as a leading expert on labor economics and human resource management theory.
The Order of Culture award ceremony will be held at the Imperial Palace on Monday, November 3, 2014, while the Persons of Culture award ceremony will be held at a hotel in Tokyo on Tuesday, November 4.
