The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s College of Social Sciences (CSS) received a gift of $470,000 from Fujitsu Ltd./Japan-America Institute of Management Science (JAIMS). The fund, administered by the UH Foundation, will support CSS’s robust environment and continued engagement in the global community.
The fund will be used for student scholarships as well as activities to enrich students and faculty’s global experience, such as conferences, travel, symposiums, lecture series, visiting professorships and student exchanges.
The JAIMS Endowment Fund will allow JAIMS and parent company Fujitsu to continue contributing to education and leadership development, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition to an endowment, the gift includes $100,000 to allow CSS to immediately start laying the groundwork for new programs.
“We are grateful to Fujitsu’s vision to carry on the legacy of JAIMS,” said CSS Dean Denise Eby Konan. “We see this transformational gift as key to advancing relationships not only between UH and Fujitsu, but also benefiting the U.S., Japan and greater Asia-Pacific region.”
Added Hidenori Furuta, non-executive chairman of Fujitsu Ltd., chairman of the JAIMS Board of Trustees and JAIMS president, “Fujitsu founded and has supported JAIMS to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. We believe and hope this endowment fund will continue nurturing global leaders with practical wisdom, and contribute to a sustainable future society through stewardship from CSS.”
More on JAIMS
JAIMS was established in 1972 by Fujitsu Ltd. Some 23,000 people from 55 countries have benefited from learning opportunities provided through JAIMS. After fulfilling the original mission as an educational institution, the JAIMS board of trustees made the decision to wind down its operations in 2024 and transfer the endowment fund to CSS.
The Japan-Hawaiʻi Socio-Economic Innovation Initiative (JHSEII) at CSS is an international contribution project at the Council for Better Corporate Citizenship, a public-interest-incorporated association in Japan established by Keidanren. The federation has a broad membership of more than 1,500 Japanese companies, industry associations and regional economic organizations. JHSEII has benefited from contributions by alumni and corporate partners for enhancing the ties between Japan and Hawaiʻi.
Lead for CSS Global College Initiatives is Nori Tarui, senior advisor to the dean and chair of the Department of Economics.
