Mazda Year 2000 Activities Plan

The Mazda Foundation (Chairman: Mamoru Takebayashi) has announced its year 2000 activities plan. The activities plan provides two types of assistance. One assists the promotion of science and technology research activities, and the other youth projects. The total budget is 62.4 million yen.

Characteristics of activities for this year are as follows:

1. Assistance for research regarding science and technology that focuses on "Engineering including Inverse, Recycling Technology and Energy Saving" (application for assistance began last year), and expanded assistance for studying recycling systems, and other research. Assistance for research was limited to specialized research, but now is expanded to themes of investigation. Application for assistance starts at the end of this April. The expected number of projects are between 20 and 25, the total budget for which is 33 million yen.
2. For the fifth and final year of assistance for Higher Education in Asian countries, "The Second International Roundtable Conference for Communication in Asia through the Next Generation" is planned to be held jointly with Hiroshima University. The total budget is three million yen.
3. Assistance for research regarding youth related projects changed directions to focus more on pragmatic research for the purpose of activating citizen activities. Application for assistance starts at the end of April. The expected number of projects are two or three. The total budget is two million yen.
4. Support for citizen activities aimed at fostering youth with a total amount of five million yen for 15 projects in Hiroshima and Yamaguchi prefectures was decided.
5. The lectures at five universities will be expanded to two more universities. The two universities are Hiroshima Shudo University and Kinki University. A unique lecture (titled "Volunteer") will start this spring at Hiroshima Shudo University. The lecture is offered for credit at private universities in Hiroshima prefecture. Through attending the lecture, university students will actively participate in real volunteer activities for elementary and middle school students such as "Private School Michikusa," which is organized jointly with Hiroshima City Citizen & Community Network Foundation.

The Mazda Foundation's goal is to share prosperity with all people, and contribute to the creation of a society where people can live contentedly. It was established in October 1984. Including this year's activities, a total of 781 activities have been supported with a total contribution of 790.5 million yen.