Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at OIST

We believe an environment that intentionally cultivates a diversity of lived experiences, identities, and perspectives creates the foundation for excellence in research, creative inquiry, innovation, and education. Fostering psychological safety through an inclusive climate enables members of a community to thrive. This strengthens the conditions for collaboration across lines of difference to fuel discovery¹.

We acknowledge that systemic inequity exists in many forms across the world, and no single context defines the reality for all members of our OIST community. Within our sphere of influence, we aspire to shape an inclusive experience for OIST community members and those touched by our work. We aspire to be a model for inclusive academia in an international context and hope to contribute to best practices in diversity, equity, and inclusion among the academic and scientific communities in Japan.

Vision

We envision a university...

• that unleashes professional and intellectual excellence by tackling systemic barriers to opportunity
• where people feel validation and belonging, and actively create inclusion for others
• where people integrate equity, care, and wellbeing into decision-making and the pursuit of discovery, achievement, and a more sustainable world
• where a community of trust, communication, and transparency strengthens the enactment of our shared values

Mission

Our mission is to activate and support the leadership of people at all levels in our community to foster a culture of humanizing the OIST environment. We do this through continuous learning, growth, accountability, and by embedding equity into policies, practices, and resource allocation.

Values

• Lead with curiosity
• Learn with humility
• Build restorative community²
• Practice collective responsibility

^{1 Edmondson, A., and Kate Roloff. "Overcoming Barriers to Collaboration: Psychological Safety and Learning in Diverse Teams." In Team Effectiveness in Complex Organizations: Cross-disciplinary Perspectives and Approaches, edited by E. Sales, G. G. Goodwin, and C. S. Burke. Organizational Frontiers Series. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2008.} 

^{2 “Restorative community is created when we allow ourselves to use the language of healing and relatedness and belonging without embarrassment. It recognizes that taking responsibility for one’s own part in creating the present situation is the critical act of courage and engagement, which is the axis around which the future rotates. The essence of restorative community building is not economic prosperity or the political discourse or the capacity of leadership; it is citizens’ willingness to own up to their contribution, to be humble, to choose accountability, and to have faith in their own capacity to make authentic promises to create the alternative future.” Block, P. (2018). Community: The structure of belonging (p. 48). Berrett-Koehler Publishers.}