The project to establish the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology was first announced in June 2001 by the then Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs and Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy. The Cabinet Office of the Japanese government has been promoting the project since then. It has the following three objectives.

The first is to establish in Japan a leading center for research and education that will take up new challenges of science and technology. Having achieved economic development through technological innovation, Japan is now prepared to make a significant contribution to the advancement of science and technology.

Today, many emerging fields of science and technology are multidisciplinary and require integration of various disciplines. The Institute is intended to conduct state-of-the-art research and offer superior education with a major focus on integrative approaches.

The second objective is to provide a successful model of a research university for Japanese academia. Existing universities with rigid departmental structures face difficulties in developing new systems to accommodate integrative research and education. Establishing a fully internationalized environment is another challenge. The Institute will be an English-speaking university with a creative atmosphere nurturing originality and a questing spirit.

Third, this project aims to stimulate the transformation of Okinawa's economy. In 2002, Okinawa celebrated the 30th anniversary of its reversion to Japan. Now, Okinawa needs to develop a private-sector-driven, self-sustaining economy. As a step in this direction, the Institute is expected to trigger the development of an industrial cluster employing cutting-edge technologies.

It is likely that Okinawa's beautiful natural surroundings and geographical advantage of proximity to major cities in Asia will provide an ideal setting for a world-class university.

(1) Five Key Concepts

The following five concepts are regarded as the guiding principles in the design and preparation of the Institute.

a. Best in the world

The Institute will aim to recruit world-class researchers, and conduct first-rate research and education.

b. International

It is intended that more than half of the faculty and students will be non-Japanese. English will be utilized as its common language for all lectures, meetings, etc.

c. Flexible

To be among the best in the world, flexibility is absolutely necessary. Rules will be applied flexibly in order not to suffocate people's creativity which will be respected above all.

d. Global network

The Institute will develop a network with leading universities and research organizations worldwide, through various means including joint research and exchange of faculty and students.

e. Collaboration with industry

The Institute will have a cooperative relationship with industry from the early stage of its founding through such means as inviting board members from industry and setting up university-industry roundtable organizations. Cooperative research with industry, as well as sponsored research from industry, is encouraged. Donations are solicited through various activities.

An office will be created for an overall liaison with industry. The Institute will also support new ventures spun off from its research activities. A research park will be developed within or near the site of the Institute.

(2) Research and Education Field

The Institute will conduct and offer quality research and doctoral education in selected areas in a number of core disciplines and in integrative work on most challenging scientific themes. The core disciplines will include physics; computer and information science and mathematics; chemistry; materials and systems engineering and bioscience.

A major emphasis will be placed on integrative research and education related to biosystems with the participation of researchers of these core disciplines.

(3) Board of Governors and President

The following prominent scientists have been invited to join the Board of Governors.

Dr. Jerome Friedman (Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Dr. Susumu Tonegawa (Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Dr. Torsten Wiesel (Secretary General, Human Frontier Science Program Organization; Former President, Rockefeller University)

Dr. Steven Chu (then, Professor, Stanford University; now, Director, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

Dr. Kiyoshi Kurokawa (President, Science Council of Japan)

Dr. Akito Arima (former President of University of Tokyo)

Dr. Jean-Morie Lehn (Professor, Louis Pasteur University)

The first meeting of the Board of Governors was held in Tokyo in July 2004. At this meeting, the Board nominated Dr. Sydney Brenner (Professor, Salk Institute for Biological Studies), who was awarded the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, as Founding President.

The decision to site the Institute at Onna Village was reached in April 2003. The Onna campus is located on the slopes of a series of hills covered with subtropical forest and commanding a beautiful coast line of Okinawa. It provides an ideal research environment for a world-class graduate university, as well as sufficient space for all the required facilities and great potential for additional development in the future.

The campus planning is being carried out with due consideration given to preserving the natural environment.

In parallel with the preparatory works toward the establishment of the Institute, two kinds of precursory activities are promoted to guide this project in a promising direction.

First, the Initial Research Project has been launched. Its laboratories are located in Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture. For details, please see: http://www.irp.oist.jp/ .

Second, academic events relevant to the focus of the Institute's research and education are held. Researchers and students are invited from all over the world to join symposiums and workshops in Okinawa.

The first symposium was held in October, 2003, as an international academic gathering where scientists and students from various disciplines presented their latest research findings and exchange opinions. Its outline is as follows:

[First Symposium]

a. Title

New Horizons in Molecular Sciences and Systems: An Integrated Approach

b. Date

October 16-18, 2003

c. Place

Bankoku Shinryokan in Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture

d. Topic Areas

Bioscience and Biotechnology Frontiers

Information Sciences and Computing

Nanosciences and Nanoengineering

e. Participants

- 351 (registered by October 16), including 35 speakers and 152 poster presenters

- 91 from abroad

f. Program

Please see this page.

The workshop is a lecture program for young researchers including graduate students and post-docs led by prominent scientists. The first and second workshops were held in 2004, as shown below.

[First Workshop]

a. Title

International Workshop for Integrated Yeast Sciences at Okinawa

b. Date

March 14-19, 2004

c. Place

Hotel Nikko Alivila in Yomitan-son, Okinawa Prefecture

d. Participants

17 lecturers and 46 participants from 15 countries

e. Program

Please see this page.

[Second Workshop]

a. Title

Okinawa Computational Neuroscience Course

b. Date

November 9-19, 2004

c. Place

Bankoku Shinryokan in Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture

d. Participants

21 lecturers/organizers, 11 tutors and 42 participants from 15 countries

e. Program

Please see this page.

The third workshop will be held on February 21 - 27, 2005, with a focus on encoding information in DNA sequences. For details, please see http://www.okinawa2005.jp/.

On February 8, the bill to establish the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Promotion Corporation, which is the entity to implement the precursory activities and to prepare for opening of the graduate university, was decided by the Cabinet and submitted to the Diet. The outline of the bill is as follows:

[Outline of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Promotion Corporation Bill]

1. Status
   Independent administrative institution^*

   ^* Independent administrative institutions are a new type of public corporations created in 2001 under the Japanese administrative reform. An example of this type of organization is RIKEN.

2. Objectives
   To prepare for opening of the graduate university and also to promote outstanding research and development in science and technology on a global level and based in Okinawa, thus developing research and development infrastructure of science and technology in Okinawa and contributing to the self-sustaining development of the economy and society of Okinawa and the global progress of science and technology.

3. Scope of Business
   

   1)	Conducting outstanding research and development on a global level in science and technology;
   2)	Disseminating results obtained by conducting the research and development and promoting their use;
   3)	Convening research forums and/or workshops in science and technology and conducting other affairs for promoting communication among researchers;
   4)	Sharing the facilities and equipment of the Corporation with those who conduct research and development in science and technology;
   5)	Training researchers in outstanding science and technology on a global level and to enhance the level of expertise;
   6)	Preparing for the establishment of the graduate university; and
   7)	Affairs incidental to the conduct of business stated above.

4. Officers
   

   1)	The Corporation shall have, as its officers, a President as its head and two Auditors. The President and Auditors are appointed by the Prime Minister.
   2)	The Corporation may have, as its officer, one Executive Director.

5. Board of Governors
   

   1)	The members of the Board of Governors shall be appointed by the Prime Minister from among those with high-knowledge of science and technology, and others with expertise or experience in various fields.
   2)	The following matters shall require a resolution by the Board of Governors: - Making or altering a Statement of Business Principles; and - Making or altering a Medium-Term Plan
   3)	The Board of Governors shall make a recommendation to the Prime Minister with regard to the appointment of the President and oversee the implementation of business conducted by the Corporation.
   4)	Other than the duties stated above, the Board of Governors may make recommendations on important issues of the Corporation when consulted by the President and make policy recommendations to the President on the future of the Graduate University and other matters, which the Board of Governors considers it necessary to be deliberated.

6. Headquarters
   Located in Okinawa Prefecture

7. Time of Establishment
   September, 2005

2001

June

The then Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs and Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy announced a plan to create a new graduate university in Okinawa.

Aug.

The first meeting of the Japanese advisory committee was held.

2002

April

The first meeting of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) was held in Los Angeles (the participants included three Nobel Laureates).

May

Prime Minister Koizumi announced at the 30th Anniversary Ceremony of the Reversion of Okinawa that the government will promote the project to establish the new graduate university in Okinawa.

June

The second IAC meeting was held in Okinawa (the participants included three Nobel Laureates).

Dec.

Three sites were recommended by the Okinawa Prefectural Government to the Cabinet Office.

2003

Jan.

- The third IAC meeting was held in San Francisco (the participants included eight Nobel Laureates).

- Prime Minister Koizumi stated that the government will promote the project to establish the Institute for the first time in the keynote address to Diet.

April

The site in Onna village was selected.

June

The first meeting of the Council was held in Tokyo.

Oct.

The first international symposium was held in Okinawa.

Dec.

Four ministers concerned agreed on the steps to be taken with regard to the Institute, including the establishment of a legal entity in FY2005.

2004

Jan.

Prime Minister Koizumi stated that the government will promote the project to establish the Institute in Onna Village in his keynote address to Diet.

Mar.

The first workshop was held in Okinawa.

July

The first meeting of the Board of Governors was held in Tokyo. Dr. Brenner was nominated as Founding President.

Sep.

The second meeting of the Board of Governors was held in Tokyo.

Nov.

The second workshop was held in Okinawa.

2005

Jan.

The third meeting of the Board of Govenors was held in Tokyo.
The project manager selection committee selected Bovis Lend Lease Japan, who will manage the campus planning.