‘Nature Opinion’: OIST ‘leading the way’, say Japanese scientists

A ‘Nature’ opinion article signed by more than 130 researchers from distinguished universities across Japan has described OIST as “leading the way” in interdisciplinary science.

OIST President and CEO Dr. Karin Markides said: “To be highlighted by so many as an exemplar university in Japan is greatly encouraging. OIST was founded with a unique mission and the structure to enable research and innovation which can deliver transformative solutions for Okinawa, Japan, and the wider world. Our 2024-2029 strategy puts more ever intense emphasis on open science and exploitation of the intersections between disciplines. We are still a young institution. Affirmation from so many Japanese scientists that we are growing with such promise is both welcome and significant.”

The researchers responsible for the article call on the country to allocate money to new programs in pursuit of an increasingly dynamic research culture.

OIST Board of Governors Chair Dr. K VijayRaghavan: “It is testimony to the vision of our founders that so many of Japan’s leading scientists today place high value on OIST’s fundamental characteristics: a horizontal organizational structure without departments, a deep commitment to diversity, and strong, creative incentives for interdisciplinary collaboration. The authors combine affirmation of the work OIST was established to undertake with a call-to-action for new, dedicated investment in interdisciplinary science, which we applaud.”

In their article, the scientists present a shared view of Japan’s research funding strategy, and propose several enhancements. They say the country’s global research and innovation competitiveness could be significantly boosted by greater support for interdisciplinary science and collaboration; a deeper commitment to ‘high-stakes, high-reward’ work; funding allocations provided over longer cycles; and dedicated effort to sustain high-quality laboratory infrastructure against international standards.

The full Nature opinion article, which was published in English, can be found here:

Nature Opinion article: "Japan can be a science heavyweight once more — if it rethinks funding"