Former alumnus Toshizo “Tom” Watanabe ’73 recently donated $10 million to Brandeis to create the Toshizo Watanabe International Scholarship Program (TWISP), a scholarship to assist graduates and undergraduates from Japan to study at Brandeis, according to Brandeis Alumni & Friends. This scholarship is the single largest donation from an international graduate student, according to an email sent to the Brandeis community from President Ron Liebowitz.
This scholarship program will support the Watanabe Scholars, who are students who have studied or are studying, at a top-tier Japanese university that is associated with Brandeis such as Keio and Waseda University. These scholars receive full tuition and a partial stipend for living expenses, according to the scholarship website. They are eligible to be an undergraduate student as well as a student at the International Business School, the Graduate School of Arts and Science or the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.
Watanabe was inspired to start this scholarship from his own experiences with international scholarships at Brandeis, specifically the Wien scholarship, which allowed him to study in the United States, according to the Brandeis Alumni & Friends article. “That is when a seed was planted for me,” explained Watanabe to Brandeis Alumni & Friends at the 30th anniversary of the Wien program. “Since then, I have always wanted to repay the Wien family’s generosity by helping other students.”
President Ron Liebowitz also expressed his gratitude for Watanabe’s donation, with its ties to the mission of the university.
“We are deeply grateful for this historic gift, which reflects the values upon which Brandeis was founded. This scholarship program will not only enable us to welcome deserving students, it will also further diversify our campus, add new perspectives to our classroom discussions, and emphasize our university as a global institution,” explained Liebowitz.
Kathryn Graddy, the dean of the International Business School, noted that “It is crucial that institutions of higher learning foster cross-cultural collaboration and understanding. This program will further strengthen Brandeis’ bond with Japan and equip students to make an impact across the world.” The International Business School was the first school of Brandeis to make connections in Japan and are still looking to expand, according to the Brandeis Alumni & Friends article.
Watanabe is the current president of the Toshizo Watanabe Foundation and the chair emeritus and former president and CEO of Nikken Global, an international home and wellness products company, according to the Brandeis Alumni & Friends article.
Watanabe received his bachelor’s degree in politics from Brandeis. The website also stated that the first year of TWISP coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Wien program. Since its beginning in 1958, over 860 scholars from 112 countries have been given the opportunity to study at Brandeis.
