Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is a great pleasure for me to participate in honoring my long time friend and colleague Professor Kenzo Miya.
I have known Prof. Miya for nearly 20 years. He is not only a world-renowned scholar and a great leader, but a true visionary with a remarkable human touch.
His leadership has spanned many fields and extended across many international boundaries.
As you all know, he is the founder of ISEM. He also established ENDE (The International Symposium for Electromagnetic Non-Destructive Testing). ENDE-7 will be held later this month, May 18-19. He and I established ISFNT, the International Symposium on Fusion Nuclear Technology, a very prestigious conference held every 3 years. ISFNT-6 will be held next year in San Diego.
Let me elaborate more on his outstanding and long lasting contributions in the field of fusion energy. In the mid-1980’s, he was a pioneer who called on Japan to establishe an aggressive R&D program in the important field of fusion nuclear technology.
Thanks to his efforts, the Fusion Energy Division was established in the Atomic Energy Society of Japan.
Prof. Miya has played a vital role in the progress of fusion in Japan. He chaired and served as a member of many national and international committees that formulated policy and the R&D program of fusion energy research. He advocated important international projects such as ITER.
Throughout his distinguished career, Professor Miya has shown outstanding leadership by taking into careful and close consideration the future of fusion and the future of Japan, not simply the interest of his own institution. This is the true hallmark of a great leader.
Professor Miya has also made outstanding contributions to education. His own students are now famous professors in many universities and leaders in industry.
Now, let me move to the human aspects of Kenzo Miya, the man. You all probably know that he likes golf and snorkling. But did you know that he likes Atsukan (hot, very warm sake). He loves octopus. He cooks it himself. He has given his friends many lectures on how to cook and eat octopus and drink atsukan -- A meal now known as “Miya-dojo”. But did you also know that his favorite game is Ma-Jong. This is a Chinese game. It needs four people to play the game. Miya is a very good player of Ma-Jong. He often asks his students and co-workers to share a game with him.
The rumor is that his students must lose money to graduate whether they knew electromagnetics or not. But, more seriously, the truth is that he teaches students that Life is like Ma-Jong. You can win sometimes and you can lose sometimes, but never at….
He has been an outstanding educator, a great leader, and a very fine human being. He has just started a new institute that he calls International Institute of Universality; yet another bold vision for a bright future.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Please join me in a toast to wish Prof. Kenzo Miya and his family the best of health and continued success and prosperity.
“Kampari”