The University of Oxford and the Inamori Foundation on Monday announced that future winners of the Kyoto Prize will be invited to address audiences of decision-makers in the United Kingdom. The program will be called the "Kyoto Prize at Oxford."

"Partnership with Oxford would greatly amplify public appreciation and understanding of the Kyoto Prize in the United Kingdom and the West," said Louise Richardson, vice chancellor of the University of Oxford. She was speaking Monday at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo.

The Inamori Foundation said the program will improve awareness of the prize in Europe.

"We have held the Kyoto Prize laureates' lectures in Japan and in the West Coast of America but not in Europe on a regular basis, for the Kyoto Prize is not well known in Europe yet," said Executive Vice President Shinobu Kanazawa of Inamori Foundation. " 'Kyoto Prize at Oxford' is a brilliant idea to amplify public appreciation not only in the United Kingdom but also throughout Europe."

The Inamori Foundation was established in 1984 by Kazuo Inamori, a charismatic business manager and founder of Kyoto-based electronics and ceramics manufacturer Kyocera Corp.

One of the foundation's core activities is the ¥50 million Kyoto Prize, awarded annually in November to professionals in three fields: technology, science, and arts and philosophy. The award aims to promote academic and cultural development and to contribute to international understanding.

Past laureates include biologist Sydney Brenner and scientists Isamu Akasaki and Shinya Yamanaka, the latter of Nobel Prize fame. Arts laureates have included the composer John Cage, film director Akira Kurosawa and fashion designer Issey Miyake.

The first "Kyoto Prize at Oxford" event is scheduled to take place on May 9 and 10 next year. It will feature the three laureates of the 2016 Kyoto Prize addressing an audience of academics, public officials and other influential individuals at the Blavatnik School of Government, founded in 2010. The speeches will be streamed live on the Internet.

"A special characteristic of our school is that we believe that leadership should be values-driven," said Ngaire Woods, dean of the Blavatnik School. "So we were excited and inspired when Dr. Inamori came to Oxford to give a lecture on leadership, infused with values of altruism and working together. That lecture was the spark which ignited for us this collaboration."