Professional and Career Development

OIST is committed to the development of individual student’s knowledge and skills, not only in research, but also for career development and leadership in the scientific research and education environment.

To equip students with the necessary professional skills to succeed in their career after graduation, the Professional and Career Development program at OIST supports students in their career growth from early on.

While the first two years are focused on enhancing practical and technical skills in the realm of science, year 3-5 allow students to explore career options within and beyond academia, including industry and entrepreneurism.

Professional and career development will be complemented by opportunities to attend workshops, seminars and networking events as well as individualized consultations on career planning.

Your professional career development path at OIST

Year 1 - 2: Level up your academic skills

Science Writing: During science writing courses, you will work independently on assigned projects and discuss results in peer-reviews.
Scientific Computing: Courses in science computing you will be equipped with a fundamental understanding of Python.
Responsible Conduct in Research: Brush up your knowledge about responsible conduct in research by independent study, workshops and an open forum to discuss and share your own experiences.
Group projects: Group projects are focused on science communication skills and teamwork communication skill development, as well as opportunities to engage with and contribute to the Okinawan community.

Year 3 - 5: Explore diverse career paths through our leadership program

Leadership skill training: To equip you with leadership skills that are applicable in any career path, we offer core skill development sessions, such as leadership fundamentals, communication, and public presentation workshops.
General career path: This track is ideal if you have not yet decided on your career path and would like to obtain transferable professional skills across professional environments.
Academia career path: This path will prepare you for developing essential academic leadership competencies by providing teaching training followed by a teaching practicum and opportunities for grant application writing.
Industry career path: This track will lead you to expand your business leadership competencies by supplying you with training in business fundamentals and obtaining skills in problem-solving.

A large group of people sit at desks facing the screen on the right. A man stands in front of the screen, talking.

Boost your career development by the following opportunities

Individualized consultation on career development: A dedicated professional and career development team will provide continuous career guidance and training opportunities to tailor each student's career development according to their individual career goals and professional skillset.

Career fair (ideally year 3-5): Attend our annual career fair to connect with future employers that is designed to be a beyond conventional career fair to deepen connections between students and industry professionals.

Company site visits (year 3-5): Explore research activities in industrial settings by visiting companies and interacting with corporate researchers.

Internship (year 3-4): Discover what it is like to be a corporate researcher by working with real-world projects in professional teams.

Workshops & events: Benefit from our internal career workshops and events, such as grant-writing, public presentation, communication, career talks or company information sessions.