Fukuoka cultural prizes promote Asian studies
JAKARTA (JP): R.M. Koentjaraningrat, a prominent Indonesian scientist, will receive the Grand Prize Award today at the 6th Fukuoka Asian Cultural Prizes l995 in Fukuoka, Japan.
Fukuoka is located in the north of Kyushu island, the southern most island in Japan.
Koentjaraningrat, a professor of anthropology, was chosen by the committee for his significant contributions to the establishment and development of anthropology in Indonesia. The professor has also studied traditional Southeast Asian cultures. His scientific works are considered monumental.
The Fukuoka Asian Cultural Prizes, sponsored by the city of Fukuoka and the Yokatopia Foundation, were established in l990 to honor individuals who have made outstanding achievements in the cultivation and advancement of academic studies, arts and culture in Asia -- thus contributing to the promotion of culture, mutual understanding and peace in Asia.
Among past recipients are renowned American anthropologist Clifford Geertz (l992), Chinese writer Ba Jin (l990), highly- acclaimed Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa (l990), Indian sitar Maestro Ravi Shankar (l991), former Thai prime minister Kukrit Pramoj (l990) and Filipina architect Leandro V. Locsin (l992). The only Indonesian who has received the prize is historian and social scientist Taufik Abdullah. He won the International Academic Prize in l991.
The prizes fall into three categories: the Grand Prize, Academic Prizes, and the Arts and Cultural Prize.
The Grand Prize is presented to a recognized and internationally respected individual who has made outstanding contributions to intellectual and cultural formation of Asia. The total prize is 5,000,000 yen (US$49,751).
The International and Domestic Academic Prizes are given every year to a person or a group of people who have made extraordinary achievements in the field of Asian studies, thus contributing to the promotion of the world's understanding of the region. The International Academic Prize is given to a non-Japanese person or group, while the domestic prize is, of course, given to a Japanese person or group.
The recipients are selected by the Fukuoka Asian Cultural Prize Committee. There were 3,400 nominees from 53 nations for the 6th Fukuoka Asian Cultural Prizes l995.
This year's winners include Prof. Hahn Ki-un, a noted educator from South Korea who will receive the International Academic Prize. Professor Hahn is one of the founding fathers of the Korean education system. The professor labeled his theory Foundationism in l957 when he was studying at Columbia University. Foundationism has been further theorized and systemized into a unique philosophy and theory of education, accumulating his 40 years of research activities. Prof. Hahn's major work entitled History of Korean Education (l963) is the first book ever written on the entire history of the Korean education system and ancient philosophy. The book has been translated into several languages, including Japanese.
The Domestic Academic Prize was won by Prof. Noboru Karashima. The 62-year old professor is a prominent expert on Indian history and South Asia. He studies at the Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa at the University of Tokyo. His scientific works such as Cyclopedia of South Asia (l992) Introducing India (l977), Historical Dimensions of State and Society in Southeast Asia and The Dravidian World (l994) have contributed to the Japanese people's understanding of South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The Arts and Cultural Prize will be presented to Korean-born video artist Nam June Paik. The 62-year contemporary musician is a world pioneer in video arts. He studied music aesthetics at the School of Aesthetics and Art History at the University of Tokyo. After graduation, he went to Germany to study contemporary music. In l959, he gave his maiden performance in Dusseldorf, Germany, and shocked the audience by destroying a piano. He used 13 television sets for his video experiments with magnets in a solo exhibition in l963. He later moved to New York and created various innovative visual art works such as video sculpture, video installation and satellite art. Paik has laid the foundation of video art as a new expressive area of art. (raw)