Groundbreaking for Lab 3

The expansion of OIST is happening at a remarkable rate.  This time, OIST has embarked on the construction of a new research laboratory building on the south side of campus. The Groundbreaking Ceremony took place August 6^th, marking the official commencement of construction.

The Groundbreaking Ceremony is a Japanese tradition that takes place before starting a construction project in order to pray for safety during construction. It involves the Shinto priest calling to the guardian god of the land to ask permission for the construction that will take place. He then asks for the god’s forbearance for the disturbance and inconvenience resulting from the construction. The Ceremony was hosted by the contractors, and several members from OIST were also invited to attend.

OIST currently has two laboratory buildings. The new laboratory building, Lab 3, will include additional research laboratories as well as rooms dedicated to student learning. Additional classrooms, seminar rooms of all sizes, and a computer lab will accommodate more students, whose number will increase to about 100 by the time the fifth batch of students comes in. There is also a plan underway to provide technology development labs, in which scientific research and industry come together to develop the newest technology into commercialization. Vice President for Buildings and Facilities Management John Dickison commented, “This will give us more flexibility and options for future endeavors in research and education.”