Author and UN Refugee Agency Goodwill Ambassador Khaled Hosseini to Receive 2017 James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award

San Jose, California, Sept. 07, 2017 -- The Tech Museum of Innovation announced today that Khaled Hosseini, author of “The Kite Runner” and goodwill ambassador to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), will receive the 2017 James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award. The award will be presented to Hosseini on Nov. 4 at The Tech for Global Good celebration at The Tech. The evening event will kick off a year-round program of exhibits and educational offerings featuring social innovators from around the world.

Khaled Hosseini, author of “The Kite Runner” and goodwill ambassador to the UN Refugee Agency, will receive the 2017 James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award. The award will be presented to Hosseini on Nov. 4 at The Tech for Global Good celebration at The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California. The evening event will kick off a year-round program of exhibits and educational offerings featuring social innovators from around the world. UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador Khaled Hosseini visits students at Nyumanzi Integrated Primary School for Ugandan nationals and refugees from South Sudan.

“I look forward to joining a program that is focused on inspiring young people to solve big problems,” Hosseini said. “Young people can be the most optimistic among us, and I hope to help guide their energies to ideas that make the world better.”

The James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award is presented by Applied Materials, Inc., and recognizes individuals whose broad vision and leadership are helping to address some of the world’s most pressing social problems. The award is named after Jim Morgan, chairman emeritus of Applied Materials and a recipient of the National Medal of Technology.

In 2006 Hosseini was named a goodwill ambassador to the UNHCR. Inspired by a trip he made with the organization to Afghanistan, he later established The Khaled Hosseini Foundation, which provides humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.

Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965, and his family was granted political asylum in the United States following the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Army. In 2001, while practicing medicine, Hosseini began writing his first novel, “The Kite Runner,” which became an international bestseller and beloved classic and was sold in at least 70 countries, spending more than 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. He went on to write additional bestsellers including “And the Mountains Echoed” and “A Thousand Splendid Suns.”

“The work of Khaled Hosseini shows how storytelling can inspire us,” said Tim Ritchie, president and CEO of The Tech. “Empathy, hope and problem-solving are what will propel the new Tech for Global Good program, because the better we know people and the hardships they encounter, the more likely we are to feel compelled to use our talents and resources to help.”

“Applied Materials is proud to honor Khaled Hosseini with the James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award as an advocate for cross-cultural understanding and a voice for some of the most vulnerable people on the planet,” said Joe Pon, vice president at Applied Materials. 

During the Nov. 4 Tech for Global Good celebration, five innovators from across the globe who are making positive change in key areas will also be honored, joining a prestigious list of nearly 300 laureates who have been recognized since 2001 for creating innovative technology that benefits humanity. Each laureate will also have their story told in a new exhibit at The Tech.

The Tech for Global Good program is an evolution of The Tech Awards — a longtime, one-night gala hosted by The Tech for the past 15 years to honor social innovation and inspire future action. Beyond the Nov. 4 celebration, the new year-round program will feature: 

• An enhanced focus on global problem-solving in The Tech’s exhibits and programs.
• An annual exhibition showcasing social innovators who are solving problems around the world, with the first year’s exhibit focused on technology and health.
• Youth summits and other special events to inspire more diversity in STEM.
• Professional development programs for educators and lab programs for students, encouraging empathy in the technology design process.

For more information visit www.thetechforglobalgood.org.

Past James C. Morgan Global Humanitarians

John and Tashia Morgridge (2015)

Ted Turner (2014)

Dean Kamen (2013)

R. Narayana Murthy (2012)

Jeff Skoll (2011)

Queen Rania Al Abdullah (2010)

Al Gore (2009)

Muhammad Yunus (2008)

Gordon Moore (2007)

Bill Gates (2006)

Kristine Pearson (2005)

James C. Morgan (2004)

The Tech for Global Good supporters include: The Swanson Family; Mozilla; Qatalyst, Applied Materials, Inc.; PayPal; Adobe; eBay; Nasdaq; Accenture; Delta Air Lines; EY; GoDaddy; KPMG; Charmaine and Daniel Warmenhoven; Xilinx; Deedee and Burton McMurtry; Hyatt Place; and J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines.

About the Tech Museum of Innovation

The Tech is a hands-on technology and science center for people of all ages and backgrounds. Located in the Capital of Silicon Valley, The Tech is a non-profit experiential learning resource established to engage people in exploring and experiencing applied technologies affecting their lives. The Tech’s mission is to inspire the innovator in everyone. Learn more at www.thetech.org.

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT) is the leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. Our expertise in modifying materials at atomic levels and on an industrial scale enables customers to transform possibilities into reality. At Applied Materials, our innovations make possible the technology shaping the future. Learn more at www.appliedmaterials.com.

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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ff4056f3-cf1c-4c3d-aa5b-4b6796605d5c

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1cb327d2-020b-4f3d-afc1-81d4d070ae8c

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b6629e84-cfe1-4625-8475-770a08bee520

Jeff Gire
The Tech Museum of Innovation 
408-802-3397
[email protected]