Kyoto Prize at Oxford 2017

On 9 and 10 May 2017 we welcomed the three 2016 Kyoto Prize Laureates – medical scientist Dr Tasuku Honjo, philosopher Dr Martha Nussbaum, and roboticist Dr Takeo Kanade – who gave public talks, lead academic workshops and took part in a number of activities across the University of Oxford.

Laureates

Takeo Kanade
Takeo Kanade
Roboticist
Tasuku Honjo
Tasuku Honjo
Medical Scientist
Martha Craven Nussbaum
Martha Craven Nussbaum
Philosopher
Takeo Kanade

Takeo Kanade

U. A. and Helen Whitaker University Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
Roboticist

Pioneering Contributions, both Theoretical and Practical, to Computer Vision and Robotics

Dr Kanade has made fundamental contributions to the basic theory of computer vision and introduced a series of innovative applied technologies in robotics including pioneering achievements in the field of automated driving. He has established the foundation of this academic field and been advancing its frontiers consistently for many years.

Kyoto Prize award category: Advanced Technology - Information Science

Tasuku Honjo

Tasuku Honjo

Professor, Kyoto University
Medical Scientist

Discovery of the Mechanism Responsible for the Functional Diversification of Antibodies, Immunoregulatory Molecules and Clinical Applications of PD-1

Dr Honjo has elucidated the mechanism for the functional diversification of antibodies by clarifying Class Switch Recombination and its responsible enzyme, AID. He also identified several important immunoregulatory molecules, including PD-1, whose function has led to the development of effective cancer immunotherapy. His discoveries and their clinical applications have significantly influenced research in the life sciences and medicine, resulting in eminent contributions to human welfare.

Kyoto Prize award category: Basic Sciences - Life Sciences (Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Neurobiology)

Martha Craven Nussbaum

Martha Craven Nussbaum

Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics, The University of Chicago
Philosopher

A Philosopher Who Has Developed a New Theory of Justice Advocating the Capabilities Approach

Dr Nussbaum introduced the notion of incorporating human capabilities (what each person is able to do or be) into the criteria for social justice, beyond the conventional theory of equality based on a social contract among rational individuals. She established a new theory of justice that ensures the inclusion of the weak and marginalized, who are deprived of opportunities to develop their capabilities in society, and has proposed ways to apply this theory in the real world.

Kyoto Prize award category: Arts and Philosophy - Thought and Ethics

Multimedia

Dr Takeo Kanade
Lecture: Dr Takeo Kanade: Fun research in computer vision and robotics

Watch Dr Takeo Kanade speaking to an audience at the Blavatnik School of Government as part of the Kyoto Prize at Oxford events.

Video page
Dr Martha Craven Nussbaum
Lecture: Dr Martha Craven Nussbaum: Aging, Stigma, and Disgust

Watch Dr Martha Craven Nussbaum speaking to an audience at the Blavatnik School of Government as part of the Kyoto Prize at Oxford events.

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Lecture: Dr Tasuku Honjo: Serendipities of Acquired Immunity
Lecture: Dr Tasuku Honjo: Serendipities of Acquired Immunity

Watch Dr Tasuku Honjo speaking to an audience at the Blavatnik School of Government as part of the Kyoto Prize at Oxford events.

Video page

Past events