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Summary of the OIST Strategic Plan 2020-2030

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Summary of the OIST Strategic Plan 2020-2030 SUMMARY OF THE OIST STRATEGIC PLAN 2020–2030 "Innovation comes only from an assault on the unknown" Sydney Brenner (1927-2019) President, the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Promotion Corporation (2004-2011) Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine 2002 ON THE COVER: The cover image depicts a Möbius band with three half twists arising from the limit of a sequence of tetrahedral rings, all connected with a minimal, uniformly distributed twist angle. Like all Möbius bands, this surface has only one side and one edge. The shape is the first member of a previously undiscovered hierarchy of increasingly complex, knotted surfaces constructed from closed space curves. Credit: Michael Grunwald, Johannes Schönke, and Eliot Fried, Mathematics, Mechanics, and Materials Unit ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS This document is a summary of the OIST Strategic Plan 2020-2030. OIST was 2 About OIST 14 Structure initiated with an act of the Japanese Diet in 2009. The 4 Foreword from 18 Global broad aims for OIST in that the president connections legislation were to provide internationally distinguished research and education and 6 Environment 20 Economy contribute to the promotion of Okinawa. OIST's guiding 8 Campus and facilities 22 Culture principles (p2) and the strategic goals (p24) are true to that original concept 10 Research highlights 24 Strategic goals of OIST. The complete document details the actions that we will take to achieve the strategic goals and can be found at: www.oist.jp/strategic-plan ABOUT THE STRATEGIC GOALS Relevant strategic goals are listed at the top of the pages. Read them in full on page 24. The Summary of the OIST Strategic Plan 2020–2030 is published for the Okinawa To develop as To attract the Institute of Science and 1 a world-leading 9 best talent Technology Graduate university and University by Nature an international To build an inclusive Research Custom Media, a research hub 10 and welcoming part of Springer Nature. community 105-6005 Tokyo-to, To deliver a world- Minato-ku, Toranomon 4-3-1, 2 class PhD program To build a modern, Shiroyama Trust Tower 5F, 11 attractive, state-of- Japan To translate the-art campus 3 discovery Copyright © Okinawa Institute into impact To promote of Science and Technology 12 responsible Graduate University. All rights To contribute to stewardship of the reserved. The information in 4 the societal and environment this publication was correct economic well -being at the time of going to press. of Okinawa To communicate November 2019. 13 our contributions To maintain locally, nationally and 5 excellence globally THE STRATEGIC in governance To maintain diversity, PLANNING PROCESS To foster 14 well-being and an Extensive consultation with 6 an efficient open, collaborative OIST leadership, faculty, administration culture research and administrative staff, and students informed To support To plan for the OIST Strategic Plan 7 partnerships in 15 sustainable growth 2020-2030 between August Okinawa between and long-term 2018 and its approval by the academia, industry excellence Board of Governors in May and government 2019. Active management To complement and implementation began To create an 16 funding through in September 2019, evolving 8 entrepreneurial grants, sponsorship to take account of progress, culture and philanthropy new opportunities and changes in circumstances. 1 ABOUT OIST OUR MISSION: ESSENTIAL OIST We are a pioneering graduate university. We conduct research that bridges In the eight years since OIST's inauguration, we disciplines to explore new frontiers of scientific knowledge. We educate a new have made significant progress. Here are the generation of scientific leaders. We are a essential figures and short history of OIST. catalyst for an innovation hub in Okinawa. OUR ACHIEVEMENT: OUR GROWTH: OIST is ranked 9th in the world by the Nature Index 2019. Its normalized share, a measure of OIST's Nature Index output as a FACULTY proportion of its overall output in the natural sciences, puts it in a 200 league with the likes of Princeton University, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and other prestigious institutions. Targets 160 75 120 RANK RANK 80 40 in the in Japan world 0 1 9 2011 2019 2023 2033 MAR. 2007 OUR HISTORY: Construction of campus started NOV. 2011 Jonathan Dorfan JUN. 2001 appointed 1st Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern president Territories Affairs and Minister of State for JUL. 2009 Science and Technology Policy, the Honorable OIST School NOV. 1, 2011 Koji Omi, announced a plan for a new Corporation OIST accredited MAR. 2015 international graduate university in Okinawa Act ratified as a university Lab 3 opened APR. MAR. 2005 MAR. JUN. 2012 2016 2003 OIST Promotion Corporation founded 2010 Lab 2 opened Engineering Onna-son through an Act of the Japanese Diet First lab support building selected opened in SEPT. 1, 2012 opened as OIST AUG. 2005 Onna-son OIST accepted location Sydney Brenner appointed president first graduate JUL. 2016 of OIST Promotion Corporation students Marine Station inaugurated 2 OKINAWA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY GRADUATE UNIVERSITY ABOUT OIST OUR VALUES: RESPONSIBILITY EXCELLENCE RESPECTFULNESS DIVERSITY TRANSPARENCY COURAGE GUIDING PRINCIPLES: SUSTAINABILITY FREEDOM We want to be recognized for world- leading, cross-disciplinary research that benefits humanity. We want to be the destination of choice to work learn and collaborate, linking science to education, leading to innovation OUR VISION: and entrepreneurship, supported by an efficient administration. THE ADVANCEMENT We want to be the partner of choice for innovation and a catalyst in Okinawa, OF KNOWLEDGE promoting economic growth and sustainable benefits, addressing problems important to FOR THE BENEFIT Japanese and global society. OF HUMANITY 2021 Cabinet Office completes its review of OIST 2022 2027 JAN. 2017 The strategy for faculty New external review to Peter Gruss appointed appointments for the next develop next 5-year strategy 2nd president 5 years to be reviewed for faculty appointments 2018 2019 2024 2026 2028 2030 First PhDs graduated Lab 5 Lab 6 Lab 7 Lab 8 Lab 9 preparation DEC. 2018 started I2 Innovation Incubator established to foster DEC. 2019 start-ups arising from Lab 4 OIST research SUMMARY OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, 2020–2030 3 FOREWORD FROM THE PRESIDENT A UNIVERSITY OF BRIDGES OIST has the potential to take its place among the stars of the academic world. According to president Peter Gruss, the university is just getting started. IST is a university of bridges: From the physical bridges spanning the rainforest gullies O Peter Gruss, president between our remarkable campus build- of the Okinawa ings; to the scientific, economic, and Institute of Science cultural bridges we are strengthening and Technology between Okinawa and mainland Japan; Graduate University, to the far-reaching intellectual bridges giving the welcoming address to the stimulating collaboration between OIST class of 2019. faculty and the very best of the global research community. The founders of OIST, including Nobel Laureates Sydney Brenner, Jerome I. Friedman, Torsten Wiesel, and Steven Chu, as well as Japanese states- man Koji Omi, had a vision to establish an institute that would conduct ‘best- in-the-world’ research. After only eight years we have made significant progress towards realizing that vision: a recent normalized Nature Index ranking of global research organizations places us first in Japan and number nine in the world for the proportion of high-quality scientific papers relative to our total out- put of natural-science articles. How has a ‘new kid on the block’ achieved this in such a short time? A BRIDGE TO THE STARS In any organization there are two types of thinkers: those who dream of the stars, and those more concerned with keeping a solid foothold on Earth. We want OIST scientists to reach for the stars and demand the impossible. We want to take care of the groundwork so they can be free—financially, academ- ically and administratively—to explore the cutting edge of knowledge. At OIST we strive to make sure that we have an tasks so that our faculty can devote organizations around the world is that we administration that is as efficient as pos- themselves to research. have stable funding, opening the door to sible within our regulatory environment. highly creative, high-risk but high-po- At many institutions across Japan and A BRIDGE TO EXCELLENCE tential research. This kind of funding is the world, much of a senior academic’s OIST follows the formula that my pre- absolutely critical to OIST sustaining its time is spent on administration and vious institute, the Max Planck Society, place as a globally pre-eminent research grant applications, leaving less time for has applied for the last hundred years: institution. We cannot rise to the top and research. Here at OIST, we do all that hire only the best. OIST funds brains, build upon our success without the high- we can to reduce the demands of grant not projects. One of the conspicuous trust funding that has underpinned such applications and other administrative differences between us and most other rapid achievement. High-trust funding, 4 OKINAWA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY GRADUATE UNIVERSITY FOREWORD FROM THE PRESIDENT however, does not come with low seek constantly to make the most of the Institute (UK), the Weizmann Institute accountability. Quite the opposite. Every opportunities a leading research insti- of Science (Israel) and the Institute of five years an internationally renowned tution can to create for its neighbors. Science and Technology Austria. The team of experts reviews the performance We already employ 200 Okinawans and BRIDGE network aims to strengthen of each faculty member against rigor- see an opportunity for further growth. excellence in scientific research and ous global benchmarks. Only then are In Europe in the 1960s and 70s a lot of education through collaboration and recommendations made for the five-year money went into developing research exchange.
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