Contact: Maridith Geuder
A visiting history professor at Mississippi State University is receiving one of two awards given by a Japanese institute for contributions in the social sciences.
Suzuki Shizuo, who also is a senior research fellow in Mississippi State's Center for International Security and Strategic Studies, is being recognized for his "General History of the Philippines" published earlier this year. He is retired from Japan's University of Shizuoka.
In recent ceremonies in Kyoto, the PHP Institute presented him with the Yamamoto Schichihei Award. The competition involved more than 500 nominations in history, philosophy, political science, economy, anthropology, and other cultural and social areas.
The institute was established in 1946 by the late Konosuke Matsushita, a prominent industrialist and head of Matsushita Electric--known in the United States as Panasonic. PHP, an acronym for "peace and happiness through prosperity," reflects the industrialist's philosophy of creating harmony between corporate profit and social justice.
Given for the first time in 1992, the award is named for a scholar recognized for his study of Japan and its people. Suzuki's book was honored for its "unique historical viewpoint and understanding of Philippine history."
A former journalist who spent 21 years as a Southeast Asian correspondent, Suzuki most recently was dean of international relations at the University of Shizuoka. He also has been an associate professor of Southeast Asian history at Kyoto University.
A researcher in U.S.-Japan-Philippine relations and contemporary political history, he is the author of five other books.