Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology OIST

Campus Closed Friday June 26

Due to the approach of Typhoon No. 7 (Mekkhala), the OIST campus will be closed to the general public on June 26, 2026.
Further information will be provided as it becomes available.

News

A silicon wafer is printed with intricate circuit designs, and shimmers with iridescent hues of pinks, blues, greens and yellows.

Research Update

New high-NA lithography optical system design aims to revolutionize semiconductor chipmaking

With transformative potential for data center power reduction and next-gen electronic devices, simulations reveal simpler design that could overcome long-standing optical challenges and enable cheaper, more advanced chipmaking.

Institutional News

Landmark gift to establish first OIST endowment fund

Advancing the next generation of scientific talent through one of the largest individual gifts in OIST’s history.

Brown mushrooms with paler stems on the forest floor amid green moss.

Research Update

Gene swapping helped build the planet's decomposers

A new study reveals that horizontal gene transfer contributed to the repeated evolution of fungi-like, absorption-feeding life across eukaryotes.

Salt crystals are exposed along the edge of a large, serene body of water. The water reaches some far-off, cloud-capped mountains in the background.

Research Update

Extreme adaptation helps Dead Sea single-celled organisms to swim

Cryo-electron microscopy unveils the unique sheathed filament structure that supports survival and mobility in salty seas.

Panoramic photograph of a tall transmission line, with a wind farm in the background against a blue sky.

Research Update

Risk of renewable power fluctuations made predictable

Giant dataset of electricity generation and weather conditions informs new physics-based framework that helps mitigate grid fluctuations and inform wind farm placements.

Research and Faculty

OIST has no academic departments. Researchers from more than 50 countries collaborate across and combine scientific disciplines to pioneer new approaches to discovery and problem-solving.

Research at OIST

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Faculty and Research Units

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Under the Surface

Taking a deeper look at how OIST research helps answer life’s big questions

A beautiful gold machine with lots of wires in the foreground, at which a man in the background stares intently.

How to build a quantum computer

Quantum technology holds the potential to tackle complex problems across a wide range of applications. Yet today’s systems still face major limitations. Explore the fundamentals of quantum computing, the challenges for practical, large-scale quantum computing, and hear directly from the OIST experts developing the future of this field.

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Research Events

22 Jun - 03 Jul 2026

Workshop

2nd OIST-Oxford-SLMath Summer Graduate School on Analysis and Partial Differential Equations

22 Jun - 03 Jul 2026

OIST Workshops

2nd OIST-Oxford-SLMath Summer Graduate School on Analysis and Partial Differential Equations

24 - 26 Jun 2026

Symposium

The 3rd OIST-UO Joint Symposium on Emergent Functional Materials and Reactions

26 Jun 2026

Symposium

Workshop on the Neural Basis of Democracy

26 Jun 2026

Research

Strucshare meeting: Case Study

26 Jun 2026

Seminar

(Postponed, the new schedule is TBD) "Interdisciplinary Bioimaging with Coherent Raman Scattering and Optical Computing"

Study at OIST

Apply for our 5-year PhD program in Science. We also offer short-term Research Internships. Both programs are competitive, cross-disciplinary, fully funded, and taught entirely in English by world-class international faculty.

Science Without Boundaries

A university with no departments, OIST has no artificial barriers between people working in different fields, thus encouraging innovation. With a state-of-the-art research environment, OIST attracts outstanding students and faculty around the world.

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PhD and Research Internship Program

OIST offers an individualized, cross-disciplinary PhD program that funds students up to 5 years. The Research Internship program offers financial and travel support for 2 to 6 months of experience working in an OIST research lab under OIST faculty.

Student Life

OIST offers a first-class postgraduate experience – both inside and outside the classroom. A wide range of educational, recreational, social, and cultural activities provide many opportunities to explore your passions and master something new.

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Driving Innovation Toward Impact

OIST connects world-leading research and global business to co-create solutions to society’s most pressing challenges – attracting talent to Okinawa’s emerging innovation ecosystem.