Program History

In 1992, one of the world’s largest brewing companies, the Carlsberg Group, granted world-renowned architect Tadao Ando the honor of becoming the first recipient of the prestigious Carlsberg Award for Architecture in Denmark.After receiving the Carlsberg Award, he generously donated the prize money (30 million Japanese yen) to create a fund to support international students in the prefecture.

In 1993, Osaka Foundation of International Exchange (OFIX) combined the prize money donated by Mr. Ando with donations from OFIX’s supporting members to establish an invitational program, the Osaka Invitational Program for Short-Term Overseas Trainees in Architecture and Arts.

This program was created to give Asian scholars and specialists of architecture and arts the opportunity to support development in their own countries by learning about Japanese architecture in Osaka.

In 2002, Mr. Ando made another donation from The Kyoto Prize (10 million Japanese yen) for the further development of this program.