On the 1^st of November 2011, political and scientific leaders from around the world came together in Okinawa to launch OIST – a new international, interdisciplinary university – a university they sought to make ‘the best in the world’, where researchers could pursue bold, ambitious ideas, unhindered by the boundaries of traditional science or international geography. Today, as we launch the Open Center for Energy at OIST, we invoke this philosophy of our founding parents and apply it to one of the most pressing challenges of our generation – the sustainable generation, storage, transport and use of energy. We encourage you to join us on this journey, as we work together across disciplines and nationalities, to seek bold solutions for a better future for our children, and those to come, in Okinawa, Japan and the world. Welcome to the OIST Open Center for Energy.