Fujitsu Donates $1 Million to De Anza College
Author: Hrvoje Jakovac
Date: 07 May 2008

Fujitsu Computer Systems Corporation today announced it has donated $1 million: $500,000 to the De Anza campus planetarium and $500,000 in in-kind contribution to the college as a whole. In conjunction with the donation, the planetarium will be renamed Fujitsu Planetarium at De Anza College. De Anza will accept the gift and unveil new signage in a ceremony on May 6, 2008, at 10 a.m. in front of the planetarium.

Officials and dignitaries speaking at the event will be Brian Murphy, president of De Anza College; Bruce Swenson, president of the Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees; Pearl Cheng, president and trustee of the Cupertino Union School District Board; Tetsuo Urano, corporate senior vice president, head of North American operations for Fujitsu Limited; and Farhat Ali, president and CEO of Fujitsu Computer Systems.

"We are extremely grateful that Fujitsu has chosen to make such a generous donation to De Anza College students and the community," said Murphy. "The donation will support our ongoing efforts to teach space science to students and allow us to launch vital new programs for students and the community. The gift of Fujitsu technology will be used to further enhance our use of technology in the classroom, directly benefiting students."

The Fujitsu Planetarium at De Anza College is the largest planetarium on a college campus west of the Rocky Mountains and the second largest planetarium facility in Northern California. The 50-foot domed sky theater has a 140-seat capacity and allows the planetarium to offer a comprehensive array of educational and enrichment programs in space science. Each year, more than 25,000 students from 445 local schools visit the planetarium. An additional 8,000 community members visit the planetarium to enjoy exciting programs and stay current with the latest astronomical discoveries.

"The best way to demonstrate our commitment to the Silicon Valley community is through actions that improve the lives of people who live here and that provide an example for other companies to follow," said Farhat Ali, President and CEO, Fujitsu Computer Systems, who will speak at the Fujitsu Planetarium at De Anza College unveiling. "Our support for De Anza College and the planetarium reflects our belief that by helping to put the latest computing technologies into the hands of educators and students, Fujitsu is facilitating the development of new teaching processes that will better prepare students for life in our computerized world and help create the next generation of computer scientists and entrepreneurs who will continue to reshape our world."

The Event

Tuesday, May 6, 2008 De Anza College, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino 10-11 a.m.
# Program in front of Fujitsu Planetarium and optional Planetarium show, "Passport to the Universe" )