US–Japan Foundation establishes Richard J Samuels Dissertation Award

The Center is delighted to announce that the United States–Japan Foundation (USJF) has named its annual dissertation award in honor of Richard Samuels, Ford International Professor of Political Science, founding director of the MIT-Japan Program, and the former director of the Center for International Studies.

Now titled the Richard J. Samuels Dissertation Award in Japanese Studies, the prize recognizes excellence in social science research on Japan and reflects Samuels’s lifelong contributions to the study of Japan and to USJF’s mission of deepening understanding between the United States and Japan.

Each year, the award honors an outstanding dissertation that employs Japanese sources and social science methods to offer fresh insights into Japan’s politics, economy, or society. The recipient receives a $2,500 honorarium and will present their research at the Association for Asian Studies Annual Meeting.

"Dick Samuels is a giant in the field and we believe that presenting an annual award in his honor will inspire future scholars to follow in his footsteps," said USJF President Jacob M. Schlesinger. 

 “I am proud to be associated with the USJF’s effort to honor excellent research in Japanese Studies by US-trained social scientists,” said Samuels, a former Trustee of the Foundation. “It is my hope that this initiative will draw attention to important work by promising young scholars and deepen the public’s understanding of contemporary Japan.”