Announcing the 2019 Akao Prize ^®

The QFD Institute is pleased to announce that Dr. Catherine Y.P. Chan will be the recipient of the 2019 Akao Prize ^® . Congratulations!

The Akao Prize ^® is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in their practice and made substantial contributions to the advancement of QFD on a global level. Taken into consideration are advanced research, innovation, excellence in practical applications, leadership in international collaborations pertaining to QFD and ISO 16355, and continual skills upgrading through QFD Certificates training, as well as notable personal commitment and service to the international QFD community.

Dr. Catherine Y. P. Chan is the president of Hong Kong QFD Association, secretary general of Asian QFD Association, and an associate academician of the International Academy for Quality.

(photo, Dr. Chan on right with Dr. Yoji Akao).

We first met Dr. Chan when she presented her first QFD paper at the 2005 North American Symposium on QFD in Portland, Oregon USA. The following year, she attended the 2006 International QFD Green Belt ^® Certificate Course in Tokyo, Japan.

She continued her QFD study and received the 2007 Akao Scholarship for Students , for the paper titled "Application of QFD to Curriculum Planning of Vocational Education." She also earned her QFD Black Belt ^® at the 2007 International Symposium on QFD, held in Williamsburg, Virginia USA.

With a solid foundation in modern QFD and the latest application techniques that she has learned from the QFD Institute trainings, Dr. Chan went onto earning her Ph.D. degree in QFD from Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Her tireless work in promoting QFD in Hong Kong and South East Asia, including organization of the Hong Kong ISQFD in 2017 and several other QFD related events, her continual learning and skills updates through two QFD Black Belt ^® Update courses, and personal commitment to the international QFD community, such as participation in the ISO 16355 technical committee, has become recognized as the qualification in this award decision.

The Akao Prize ^® award ceremony and reception will take place on September 7, 2019 during the 25th International Symposium on QFD in Boise, Idaho USA. Please join us in honoring her and celebrating her accomplishment.