OIST Board of Governors elects new Chair

At its 48th Meeting on January 9, 2025, the Board of Governors of Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) elected globally renowned expert in developmental genetics Dr. VijayRaghavan Krishnaswamy as its new Chair.
Dr. VijayRaghavan is Distinguished Professor emeritus and the former Director of India’s National Centre for Biological Sciences. He served as Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Indian Academy of Sciences, a Foreign Associate Fellow of the US National Academy of Sciences, and an international Member of the American Philosophical Society. His further recognition includes the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize and the Infosys Prize. He was educated at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, was awarded his PhD at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai and held a senior research fellowship at Caltech. He has served OIST as a member of its Board of Governors since 2011.

Vice-Chair James Higa said:
“OIST will benefit greatly from Vijay's wisdom and passion. He brings a deep well of experience in world-class, high-level scientific programs, and leadership to this role. He has been an enduring champion of Science, Okinawa, and the mission upon which OIST was founded. The Board of Governors looks forward to working together with Vijay for OIST to be the destination for faculty, researchers, and students to conduct the best science and research in the world.”
Board of Governors Chair-elect, Dr. VijayRaghavan Krishnaswamy, said:
“I am honoured to have the opportunity to serve as the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, and I acknowledge with humility the great trust and responsibility reposed in me by my colleagues. OIST is one of the great institutions of the world. It has been built upon excellent science, openness, willingness to dare address important questions, and deep two-way partnership with Okinawa and all of Japan. I would also like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank my predecessor, Professor Cherry Murray, for all her efforts for OIST and Japan over many years.”
Dr. Karin Markides, OIST President and CEO, and Board of Governors member, said:
"Vijay received the unanimous support of all of us on the OIST Board. He is an exceptional scientist, dedicated and ambitious for the institutions he serves, and a person of immense integrity. He has given OIST constant support over many years, and I look forward very much to working closely with him as Chair."