The Hsun Kwei & Aiko Takizawa Chou Scholarship, administered by Friends of UTokyo, Inc. (FUTI)is funded by a generous donation made to the University of Tokyo New York Office (UTokyoNY) by Dr. Hsun Kwei Chou and Mrs. Aiko Takizawa Chou.
Dr. Hsun Kwei Chou, a native of Shanghai City, moved to the United States upon receiving his PhD in Engineering from the University of Tokyo. In the U.S., he established himself as an “angel investor” after many successful ventures in the semiconductor-related business. His aspiration has been to foster “development and cooperation” among three nations: Namely, China, where he was raised; Japan, which provided him with an advanced education; and the United States, which presented him with business opportunities. He has donated large sums to educational institutions in these three countries because he believes his wealth to be a “gift from societies” and wishes to give back to them by donating to educational institutions that nurture people who strive to create a better society.
UTokyoNY was created to serve in the U.S.A. as a focal point of the globalization effort of UTokyo which is committed to be “the base of knowledge.” Since facilitating study abroad programs between UTokyo and U.S. universities matches the intention of Dr. and Mrs. Chou, it created the scholarship program bearing their names and entrusted FUTI to serve as its administrator.
FUTI is a charitable nonprofit organization registered in the State of New York, operated principally by alumni of the University of Tokyo. Since 2010 it has financially supported students and alumni of UTokyo who wish to study at U.S. universities and those in the U.S. seeking to study at UTokyo. In recent years, there is an increasing recognition of the value of and need for such programs.
The aspiration and intention of these three entities have aligned and come to fruition with the establishment of this scholarship program.