Certifying youth with high aspirations and exceptional talent as members to support, and providing financial assistance to selected applicants

The Masason Foundation (“the Foundation,” President: Masayoshi Son) has chosen 25 people aged between 11 and 19*1 as members of the Foundation (the 8th generation). The members will be given support as associate members*2 starting July 1, 2024.

Members chosen include an 11-year-old elementary school student who has completed high school mathematics on his own and a 14-year-old student who has authored numerous papers in the field of planetary science. Associate members certified last year as the 7th generation members who passed the screening process will be certified as authorized members on the same day.

■About Members (Planned for July 1, 2024)
1. Number of members (from the 1st generation to the 8th generation): 166
2. Age distribution:
Youngest: 9 years old, Oldest: 28 years old
Under 10 years old: 2 members (2%), 10 – 19 years old: 104 members (62%), 20 – 29 years old: 60 members (36%)

*1 As of July 1, 2024
*2 The Foundation will certify talented persons as associate members for the initial year, and a decision will be made as to whether they will be registered as authorized members on the basis of their activities and achievements during that year. Associate members will receive support from the Foundation such as financial support and the free use of facilities for members, and will be able to participate in events organized by the Foundation. The period of validity will be determined on a case-by-case basis after taking into account the completion date of the individual’s educational process. However, if an authorized member reaches 29 years of age, the period of validity will end on the last day of the first fiscal year after that point. In addition, if an authorized member is 23 years old or younger at the end of the validity period and wishes to extend, the validity period may be extended after re-screening.

The Foundation asked 6 of the members for their thoughts. Their self-introductions will be posted sequentially on the Foundation’s website (https://masason-foundation.org/en/scholars/).

・Minato Takahashi, 11 years old
Minato, who has had his paper on discovering a mathematical formula using programming published in a mathematics journal, comments, “I want to conduct research in mathematics, including number theory, and generate results, such as discovering new theorems. I also want to apply mathematics in order to analyze various phenomena in society so that I can play a role in solving society’s problems. It would be great to be stimulated in many ways by interaction with Foundation members, deepen my own study and research, and share my thoughts and ideas with everyone.”

・Arushi Nath, 14 years old
Arushi, who was the global winner of the NASA Space Apps COVID-19 Challenge (hosted in 2020) among 1,422 projects from 150 countries and became the youngest global winner ever in the NASA SpaceApps Challenge at the time, comments, “Being part of the Masason Foundation will accelerate my work in planetary defense against near-earth asteroids by combining data from ground and space-based robotic telescopes. The new research and collaboration opportunities through the Foundation will enable me to develop innovative solutions to emerging challenges.”

・Yuzuka Sasaki, 15 years old
Yuzuka, who was selected as the youngest student to participate in the SEEDS (Science & Engineering Enhanced Education for Distinguished Students) program at Osaka University in her 8th year of school and is currently engaged in the research and measurement of cosmic rays and elementary particles, comments, “I feel very blessed and am privileged to be selected as a member of the Masason Foundation. I have always been fascinated by the world of cosmic rays and elementary particles, and have devoted myself to this research. From now on, I will continue to pursue deeper research and look forward to inspiring each other as members of the Foundation.”

・Yunosuke Nakamura, 17 years old
Yunosuke, who has numerous achievements in competitions and projects in the fields of robotics and aerospace engineering, comments, “Selected as a Foundation member, I am thrilled that my past activities have been recognized. Thanks to this, I believe paths to extraordinary abilities, comrades, and resources, which I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise have opened up. In the future, I aspire to develop systems utilizing drone technology to address natural disasters, such as wildfires in California.”

・Brian Zhou, 17 years old
Brian, who works in a wide variety of fields, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, statistics, and robotics to solve problems in the social sciences, economics, and policy, comments, “I hope to use the support provided by the Foundation to pursue a career at the bleeding edge of emerging technology and governance, and to support my initiative to form a student-run lab on the study of natural and artificial intelligence. I also hope to work with other Foundation members to learn from their experiences when creating solutions, projects, and startups that can positively affect people around the world and of all age levels.”

・Ahmed Ali, 19 years old
Ahmed, who started his studies at the University of Oxford at 16 years old and is working on a research project with a professor at the University of Houston aiming to treat cancer patients through ion beam therapy, comments, “I look forward to utilizing the Foundation’s resources to support my journey towards a research career in mathematics, particularly in the fields of number theory and analysis. I also hope to collaborate with other like-minded members on various life-changing projects, including my research work on properties of nuclear matter and potential applications to particle therapy.”

*All ages mentioned in this press release are as of July 1, 2024.

 <About the Masason Foundation>
The Foundation was established in December 2016 by Masayoshi Son, SoftBank Group Representative, to provide an environment that enables youth with high aspirations and exceptional talent in order to develop their skills and contribute to the future of humankind in the age of Singularity. The Foundation supports these young members by expanding their potential and fostering their growth into pioneers who will shape the future through exposure to new values and the latest technologies, and interaction with other members.
For more details, please visit the Foundation’s website (https://masason-foundation.org/en).