On June 15, the Fine Arts Institute (FAI) of the Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences presented Soka University with the Ikuo Hirayama Award for its advancement of archaeological research on the Silk Road through the school’s Center for Silk Road Studies.

While the center was established in 1993, Soka University has conducted six archaeological excavations in Dalverzin-Tepe, a citadel of the ancient Indian Kushan Empire and now part of Uzbekistan, in collaboration with FAI since 1989. At the urging of university founder Daisaku Ikeda, Soka has been active in research regarding ways and activities bridging cultures and civilizations in the East and West.

The Uzbek institute’s award was named after Ikuo Hirayama (1930-2009), a master of Japanese paintings whose works depicting the Silk Road have received international acclaim. He was also active in the effort to protect and preserve the cultural heritage of communities in the region.