OIST Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology

21/09/2026

Join OIST NetCafé on October 2, Online Information Session in English!

Are you considering graduate school in a STEM field? Interested in conducting research in a world-class, cutting-edge research environment?

Join our upcoming OIST Net Café, an online information session where you can learn more about the OIST PhD Program, the Research Internship Program, admissions, and student life at OIST.

You'll also have the opportunity to hear directly from current OIST students and ask questions about their research experiences, life on campus, and what it's like to study at OIST.
Register here: https://graduateschool.oist.jp/register/202610

Date: Friday, October 2, 2026, 16:00 - 17:30 (JST UTC+9)
More details: https://www.oist.jp/admissions/events/oist-cafe

19/09/2026

Plasticorals are formed when household plastic melts and fuses with coral rubble. Potentially dangerous to vulnerable reef ecosystems, they represent the increasing problem of plastic overconsumption and littering.

While more research is needed to uncover how exactly they are formed, and how they might harm reef organisms, previous research has shown that chemicals leaching from plastic waste disrupt coral growth, and plastic pieces have been found to harbor coral pathogens and propagate up through the food chain.

Read more about the study, which was a joint effort by researchers from OIST and the University of the Ryukyus, below.

https://www.oist.jp/news-center/news/2026/9/18/new-form-plastic-pollution-discovered-shores-vulnerable-coral-reefs

Or find the study in Marine Pollution Bulletin here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X26010970

18/09/2026

Today is Shimakutuba Day! This day commemorates local Okinawan languages and strives to promote and preserve them for future generations to come.

At OIST, we incorporate Shimakutuba into our official ceremonies and events to honor Okinawa’s rich cultural heritage and support keeping these languages alive.

16/09/2026

Four deep-tech startups selected for the OIST Innovation Accelerator Program are beginning their venture in Okinawa!

MINORICA, MyImmune, KeKatu, and Castomize will be based at OIST for 10 months, working to turn their technologies into viable businesses.

Learn more about the new teams: https://www.oist.jp/news-center/news/2026/9/15/four-deep-tech-startups-selected-around-world-begin-new-ventures-okinawa

15/09/2026

"I've always wanted to understand what's happening inside us."

Meet Yuna, one of our newest students.

Originally from Tokyo, she came to OIST after studying cell and molecular biology, where she investigated how nanoplastics affect immune cells. While she's particularly interested in human disease and cellular aging, OIST's interdisciplinary environment has also inspired her to explore new directions, including marine biology and coral research.

As she begins her PhD journey, she's excited to discover where her curiosity leads, while exploring Okinawa's nature and building friendships with fellow students.

14/09/2026

Our environment is changing rapidly around us, and scientists are capturing this change with unprecedented levels of precision. But once this data is collected, is it truly being heard?

A new Comment piece in Nature Sensors, developed in a collaboration between Milena Di Canio, Professor Filippo Gregoretti, OIST Professor Hiroaki Kitano and Professor Vittorio Loreto, explores the idea of “societal listening” — using environmental sensing not only to measure change, but to make it perceptible and meaningful to society. As a case study, the authors highlighted Ulysses’ Gates, an art-science project that transforms more than a century of data on Venice’s tides and lagoon into sound, music and generative images.

By translating environmental data into experiences that people can perceive, the comment piece then asks: how can we listen and respond to environmental change before it becomes a crisis?

Read more:

The Comment “From environmental sensing to societal listening” has been published in Nature Sensors and selected for the cover of the journal’s September issue. The article stems from the collaboration among Milena Di Canio, who works on the cultural, narrative and communication dimension of p...

11/09/2026

Storytelling is an integral part of our social lives. Researchers have found that children with ADHD retell stories less effectively than their neurotypical peers, potentially putting them at a disadvantage in classrooms and social settings.

“It’s encouraging to see ADHD receiving more attention in recent years. I hope that our study can help increase awareness about the diverse difficulties faced by people with ADHD, as well as those who don't meet the full diagnostic criteria but still struggle, and help educators, clinicians, and carers in recognizing potential difficulties early to create supportive spaces for children with ADHD symptoms,” says Dr. Hend Samniya of OIST’s Human Developmental Neurobiology Unit.

Read more in our latest press release. https://www.oist.jp/news-center/news/2026/9/11/visual-aids-help-school-aged-children-adhd-recount-stories

Or find the paper here: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-026-01494-3

10/09/2026

OIST and Nago City - the largest city in the northern part of Okinawa, have entered into a partnership agreement to deepen collaboration across regional development, education, human resource development, and the promotion of research and innovation.

“OIST is committed to further strengthening its contribution to Okinawa. We look forward to working closely with Nago City, educational institutions, businesses, and the local community to build a sustainable and prosperous future together.” commented Gil Granot-Mayer, Executive Vice President for Innovation and Outreach, in his remarks delivered on behalf of OIST Interim President Daniel Zajfman.

Learn more:
https://www.oist.jp/news-center/news/2026/9/10/deepening-collaboration-foster-regional-development-and-cultivate-future-leaders-northern-okinawa

10/09/2026

"I came here for a few months, but I really loved Okinawa and decided to apply for a PhD. It feels very similar to my home, Colombia."

Meet Andres, one of our newest students.

Originally from Colombia, he first joined OIST as an intern before extending his stay and ultimately becoming a PhD student. Okinawa's tropical climate, proximity to nature, and welcoming community made him feel at home from the start.

With a background in physics, he is now exploring fields such as quantum information theory, quantum computing, and quantum cryptography, bringing together his interests in mathematics, computing, and communication.

Outside research, he's looking forward to meeting new people, enjoying Okinawa's outdoors, and spending time by the sea.

05/09/2026

OIST × NAIST Café in 京都・大阪がいよいよ今週末に開催です！
皆さん、お申込みはもうお済みですか？
まだの方も、まだ間に合います！

「OISTに進学した決め手は？」 「研究って実際どんなことをするの？」 「学生生活や卒業後の進路についても聞いてみたい！」
そんな疑問や質問を、OIST・NAISTそれぞれのスタッフや現役学生、卒業生に直接聞きながら気軽に交流できる貴重な機会です。ぜひご参加ください！

イベント詳細はこちら：https://www.oist.jp/ja/admissions/events/oist-cafe

【京都会場】
📅 9/12(土) 14:00–16:00
📍 FabCafe Kyoto (京都府京都市下京区本塩竈町554)
🎫申込：https://graduateschool.oist.jp/register/oist-naist-cafe-kyoto-20260912

【大阪会場】
📅 9/13(日) 14:00–16:00
📍 FabCafe Osaka (大阪府大阪市北区天神橋2丁目2−4)
🎫申込：https://graduateschool.oist.jp/register/oist-naist-cafe-osaka-20260913