In August 2025, OIST Foundation Chairman Takeshi Ueshima, Executive Director Ginger Choy, and Vice President Reid Ching spent a full day at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) meeting with university leadership and touring key sites on campus and in the community.
The visit included discussions with President Karin Markides, Provost Amy Shen, and Deans Satoshi Mitarai and Thomas Busch about strategic priorities, funding opportunities, and emerging areas of innovation—from renewable energy and marine science to technology commercialization and graduate student research support.
Highlights included a tour of OIST’s new Lab 5 research building, the Innovation Core, and the Yomitan OIST Science Studio—a public learning space located within the Yomitan Library that brings science directly to the community.
The visit strengthened collaboration between the Foundation and OIST leadership, setting the stage for new partnerships, U.S.–Japan engagement opportunities, and expanded support for OIST’s mission to advance world-class science and education in Okinawa.