Value proposition

International & interdisciplinary graduate university and research center developing an innovation hub in Okinawa, Japan

The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) is an interdisciplinary graduate school offering a 5-year PhD program in Science. Over half of the faculty and students are recruited from outside Japan, and all education and research is conducted entirely in English. OIST researchers are conducting multi-disciplinary research in five major areas: Neuroscience, Molecular Sciences, Environmental and Ecological Sciences, and Physical Sciences.

The graduate school accepts 40 students per year, creating a very low student to instructor ratio. Students also receive support for living costs, health care, housing, childcare, and other needs that would otherwise distract them from the science. Balancing lectures and lab work, the doctoral program places students in well-funded labs where they work side-by-side with top researchers on state-of-the-art equipment. Frequent visits from internationally-known scientists further enrich the program and provide opportunities for collaboration and exchange. By the time they graduate, students have accumulated not only abstract knowledge and practical skills but also the kind of professional connections necessary to launch their careers as world-class researchers.

OIST Graduate University is an equal opportunity educator and employer, and is working actively toward increasing the diversity of its faculty, students and staff. The University strongly encourages applications from women and other underrepresented groups.

OIST provides a family-friendly working environment including the OIST Child Development Center, and has proactive policies and practices in place designed to promote a culture of diversity such as “Stop the Tenure Clock” and “Professional Travel Support” policies.

Education, Research, Science, and Multi-disciplinary