OIST Overview and Facts
(As of May 2021)
The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) is an interdisciplinary graduate school offering five-year PhD programs in Science.
OIST focuses on excellence in research, education, and innovation — fostering new ways of working that transcend the traditional boundaries between scientific disciplines. To create a truly international environment for creative scholarship, the university recruits outstanding faculty, students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff from around the world.
OIST was founded by the Japanese government to contribute to the advancement and self-sustaining developing of Okinawa and to the development of science and technology worldwide.
Vision
The advancement of knowledge for the benefit of humanity.
Values
Excellence, respectfulness, responsibility, transparency, sustainability, diversity, courage and freedom underpin everything we do.
Mission
OIST is a pioneering graduate university. It conducts research that bridges disciplines to explore new frontiers of scientific knowledge. OIST educate a new generation of scientific leaders. It is a catalyst for an innovation hub in Okinawa.
OIST at a Glance
- Ranked 1st in Japan by Nature Index, 2019 (normalized)
- Ranked 9th in the world by Nature Index, 2019 (normalized)
- 149 active patents
- ¥1.4 billion raised in external funding for technology development
Our Research
Eighty-two research units, with the same number of faculty, take a cross-disciplinary approach to research. At the same time, the PhD program encourages students to explore the intersections of disparate fields of science and technology.
- Chemistry
- Engineering and Applied Science
- Environmental and Ecological Sciences
- Marine Science
- Mathematical and Computational Sciences
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
- Neuroscience
- Physics
Our Students
- 226 PhD students from 45 countries and territories
- 84% international
- 42% women
Our Faculty and Staff
- 84 faculty members and 927 staff members, from 58 countries and territories
- 41% international
- 54% women
With independent governance from the Private Schools Act and public funding under the sponsorship of the Cabinet Office, OIST is a private university under the stewardship of the Board of Governors and Board of Counselors, the membership of which includes Nobel Laureates and global leaders in science, business, and education.