OIST and Yomitan Village Sign a Memorandum of Comprehensive Collaborative Agreement

The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST, President and CEO Peter Gruss) has concluded a comprehensive collaboration agreement with Yomitan Village (Mayor Denjitsu Ishimine), which is located near the OIST campus. The two parties will work together to develop human resources and create a sustainable community through effective use of their human and material resources and research results.

 The signing ceremony was held at OIST on December 8, 2022 with attendance of Yomitan Village Mayor Denjitsu Ishimine and OIST President Peter Gruss.

Yomitan Village Mayor Denjitsu Ishimine (left) and OIST President Peter Gruss (right).

 With this collaborative agreement with Yomitan Village, in addition to the agreement with Onna Village signed in October this year, OIST aims to further enhance its collaboration framework with the surrounding communities to make an impact on local residents. OIST and Yomitan Village will collaborate and cooperate in the following areas:

(1) Regional cooperation and revitalization
(2) Exchange of human resources and knowledge
(3) Education and human resource development
(4) Joint scientific surveys, research, and projects
(5) Environmental conservation in the community
(6) Other matters necessary to achieve the objectives of this agreement

 The immediate focus of the collaboration will be on conducting OIST’s science classes at community events hosted by the Yomitan Village and outreach classes at the elementary and junior high schools in the village. In addition, OIST will work closely with Yomitan Village to establish an OIST Booth (tentative name) in the village's Information Center (tentative name), where visitors can learn about OIST and science.

 In his opening remarks at the signing ceremony, Village Mayor Ishimine said, “We believe that experiencing world-class research will help our children learn a lot, dream, and develop a spirit of challenge for the future. We also encourage OIST to use our entire village as a research field and hope that OIST and Yomitan Village can develop together even further through industry-academia-government collaboration.”

 President Gruss also expressed his enthusiasm for this collaborative agreement, saying, "OIST would like to give back to the local community as its member through activities for creating an ‘island of innovation’ and contribute to the sustainable development of Okinawa.”