What is the OIST Café? 

The OIST Café is a casual science information session to introduce the OIST PhD program, Research Internship, and other workshops.  

What does cutting-edge research and education look like? What are the qualifications and criteria to get into Graduate School? What are the career options after graduation? OIST members will meet you to answer all your questions! In addition, two current PhD students will introduce their research and share more about their student life in Okinawa. 

Excited to learn more about our programs and what is like to study at OIST?  

We offer several information sessions throughout the year in English and Japanese! 

Upcoming information sessions - online

OIST NetCafé Online Information Session in Japanese, November 20, 2026 

Date: Friday, November 20, 2026 
Time: 16:00 - 17:30 (JST UTC+9) 
Language: Japanese
Format: online (zoom) 
Speakers: 

• Hirokazu Sato (PhD student, Quantum Materials Science Unit)
  He is originally from Saitama, Japan. He received his bachelor's degree from Keio University in 2022 and his master's degree from the same university in 2024. During the second year of his master's program, he joined the Quantum Materials Science Unit (PI: Prof. Yoshinori Okada) at OIST as a visiting student. He later enrolled in OIST's PhD program and officially joined the unit. 
  His research focuses on materials that exhibit ordered states at low temperatures, such as superconductors and magnetic materials. By probing unconventional phenomena in these materials at the atomic scale, he aims to uncover previously unexplored aspects of their behavior and gain new insights into the underlying physics.
   
• Arisa Yokokoji (PhD student, Micro/ Bio/ Nanofluidics Unit)
  Arisa was born and raised in Osaka, Japan. She received her BSc in Chemistry and MSc in Macromolecular Science from Osaka University. During her master’s studies, she completed two research internships at OIST, totaling seven months. This experience motivated her to pursue a PhD at OIST, where she joined the Micro/Bio/Nanofluidics Unit (PI: Prof. Amy Shen). Her research focuses on non-Newtonian fluid mechanics in microfluidic devices, particularly the viscoelastic fluid–structure interaction of cilia-like structures. Outside of research, she enjoys working out and practicing Okinawan karate.

Registration link: OIST NetCafé Japanese(Nov20) - Registration Form

Upcoming information sessions - in-person

OIST x NAIST Café - Step into Graduate Schools

OIST and NAIST are coming to Tokyo!

Interested in cutting-edge science and technology? Wondering what graduate student life is like in Japan’s leading research universities?

Come and learn about the graduate programs offered at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST). We will introduce master’s and PhD programs, research opportunities, and student life at both institutions.

Staff, students and alumni from NAIST and OIST will be there to share insights into the admissions processes, research environments, and the support available to graduate students.

Join us to discover your next step in your academic journey and hear from people who experienced it firsthand!

About OIST
OIST is an interdisciplinary graduate school offering a fully funded 5-year PhD program as well as a research internship program for students in bachelor’s or master’s programs in STEM fields.

About NAIST
NAIST is a graduate university comprising three research areas: information science, biological science, and materials science. In a small-group research environment, students can engage in close discussions with faculty members and develop their research together.

OIST x NAIST Café in Tokyo

Date: Saturday, November 28, 2026 
Time: 14:00 - 16:00 (JST UTC+9) 
Language: Japanese 
Format: in person 

Venue: FabCafe Tokyo

Address: 150-0043 Tokyo, Shibuya, Dogenzaka, 1 Chome−22−7 Dogenzaka Pia 1F

Registration link: OIST × NAIST Café in Tokyo - Registration Form

Note: This event will be held in person in Tokyo, Japan. There is no online participation option. The session will mainly be in Japanese, with some content presented in English.

Speakers from OIST: 

• Dr. Han Yan (OIST alumni currently at the University of Tokyo)
  Han Yan is an Assistant Professor at the Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo. He received his PhD in Physics from OIST in 2020, graduating with OIST’s highest graduate honor. After completing his PhD, he continued at OIST as a Junior Research Fellow, then moved to Rice University as a Junior Fellow and Nicholas Postdoctoral Fellow. In 2023, he joined the University of Tokyo. His research focuses on quantum many-body physics, topological phases, and quantum information.
   
• Dr. Joel Pérez Urquizo (OIST alumni currently at Hamamatsu Photonics)
  Joel Pérez Urquizo graduated from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) in 2021. He subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at École Normale Supérieure in Paris, France, from 2021 to 2024. Since 2024, he has been a researcher at Hamamatsu Photonics, where he works on semiconductor devices for light detection and emission in the terahertz and mid-infrared spectral ranges. His research focuses on quantum optoelectronics, particularly the interaction between light and semiconductor quantum structures.

Speakers from NAIST: 

• Sumire Kirita (Biological Science, D2)
   
• Mazaya Fadhila (Material Science, D1)

OIST Café Information Session in Tokyo

Date: Sunday, November 29, 2026 
Time: 14:00 - 16:00 (JST UTC+9) 
Language: Japanese 
Format: in person 

Venue: FabCafe Tokyo

Address: 150-0043 Tokyo, Shibuya, Dogenzaka, 1 Chome−22−7 Dogenzaka Pia 1F

Registration link: OIST Café Information Session in Tokyo - Registration Form

Note: This event will be held in person in Tokyo, Japan. There is no online participation option. The session will mainly be in Japanese, with some content presented in English.

Speakers: 

An OIST alummus will join the OIST Café and share more about their study experience at OIST!