J-PEAKS Support Team Visits OIST:

On November 22, 2024, the "Accompanying Team” of the Program for Forming Japan’s Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS) visited the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST). This site visit was intended for J-PEAKS project owners to see where the project is being implemented, and to get a better understanding of the status of the project by exchanging opinions with the university's executive board.

A group of nine members, including Dr. Caroline Benton, Professor and Assistant to the President of the Graduate School of Business Sciences, University of Tsukuba; representatives (either J-PEAKS liaisons* or delegated personnel) from J-PEAKS awardee universities; and officials from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), visited OIST.

The day's program consisted of two parts: a discussion session with university executives about the J-PEAKS project, and a tour of related facilities. In the first part, OIST President and CEO Karin Markides explained OIST's five-year strategy. This was followed by Provost Amy Shen introducing core facilities and programs central to the OIST J-PEAKS project, such as the Buribushi Fellowship and collaborations with partner universities. Chief Vice President Gil Granot-Mayer provided an overview of industry-academia-government collaboration initiatives, and Secretary-General Shigeharu Kato introduced specific examples of the training program that allows trainees to gain work experience in OIST's international environment. Professor Benton expressed her expectations for further development in response to each presentation.

Meeting of J-PEAKS visiting team members and OIST executives.

In the second part, the team toured the OIST main campus in Onna Village, surrounded by vast nature, beautiful forests, and the sea. They visited the "OIST Land neXus," an open innovation facility that is currently under construction; other research buildings designed for international and interdisciplinary exchange; and living quarters for the diverse student and staff community.

Discussion regarding construction of the OIST Land neXus building.

Toshio Mochizuki, the Imaging Section Leader, introduced advanced equipment, including electron microscopes, at the OIST core facilities. 

The group also visited the "OIST Marine Science Station" at Seragaki Fishing Port in Onna Village. Shannon McMahon, the Marine Science Section Leader, explained the seawater supply system, tank facilities, and marine organisms being raised there. They also toured the "OIST Sea neXus," which is under construction, and received explanations about its future use plans, including collaborations with local fishing cooperatives and international joint research.

Tour of the cryo-EM analysis room in the Imaging Section, Core Facilities.

Site visit at the OIST Marine Station, a waterfront experimental facility located in Seragaki, Onna Village.

After the facility tours, a social gathering was held, where lively discussions took place about the potential for horizontal collaboration among J-PEAKS selected universities and questions about OIST's international environment. The site visit concluded in a friendly atmosphere.

Through this site visit by the support team, the OIST J-PEAKS team reaffirmed the potential for further organizational growth through the expansion of industry-academia-government collaboration and the development of young talent. Presentations and discussions related to this visit served to enhance the team’s enthusiasm for future initiatives.