Bridging Japan and the World with OIST’s Visiting Program

Support from the J-PEAKS grant is enabling us to strengthen our academic and research connections like never before.

OIST welcomed around 150 visiting researchers from Japan and around the world in the last fiscal year alone. They engaged in interdisciplinary and collaborative research that continues well beyond their time on our campus. Their contributions were impressive:

That’s nearly a 60% jump in visiting researchers compared to the previous fiscal year! And for FY2025, we expect to welcome about 180 researchers to OIST. This remarkable growth has been fueled by the J-PEAKS grant, which now funds nearly half of the Visiting Program at OIST.

When Japan thinks about the universities that will lead the next generation of discovery, innovation, and societal impact, it’s not betting on a single “Mt. Fuji.” Instead, it is cultivating a range of diverse peaks. That’s the vision behind the Program for Forming Japan’s Peak Research Universities (J‑PEAKS), led by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), together with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). The program, which has selected 25 universities so far, aims to strengthen Japan’s research capabilities with the help of strong, strategic university management.

For the Visiting Program at OIST, support from J-PEAKS has enabled it to bring many new international visitors here. More significantly though, it has strengthened our domestic program, which now offers flexible arrangements that allow researchers from across Japan to join OIST for shorter, targeted visits. This approach has attracted interest from our partner institutions like Keio University, Kyushu University, and the University of Tokyo. The Visiting Program now plays a central role in delivering OIST’s mission of serving as a global gateway between Japan and the world.

“Nearly every visiting researcher initiates new collaborations across multiple research units at OIST, contributing to over 120 publications in just three years,” says Dr. Jonas Fischer, manager of OIST’s Visiting Program.

Beyond research, visitors have also contributed to OIST’s academic environment by filling teaching gaps in fields like neuroscience and physics, and by delivering career talks that received positive feedback from students.

“OIST can feel a bit isolated at times, so it really helps when visiting researchers arrive with fresh ideas, curious questions, and valuable expertise,” adds Dr. Fischer. “They often spark new conversations and, suddenly, the whole research atmosphere feels more energized.”

Learn more about OIST’s Visiting Program at www.oist.jp/visiting-program.