Nara Institute of Science and Technology

{{Infobox university

| name = Nara Institute of Science and Technology

| native_name = 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学

| image_name = Bioscience naist.jpg

| image_size = 280px

| motto =

| established = October 1991

| type = Public (national)

| president = {{Nihongo|Naokazu Yokoya|横矢直和}}

| city = Ikoma (Kansai Science City)

| state = Nara

| country = Japan

| postgrad = 1,043

| administrative_staff = 374

| campus = Suburban,
139,967 m²

| mascot = Nasura{{cite web|url=http://www.naist.jp/en/about_naist/other_information/naist_mascot_character.html|title=NAIST Mascot Character|access-date=26 January 2023}}

| free_label =

| free =

| endowment = US$-- billion
(JP¥-- billion)

| website = {{Official URL}}

}}

{{nihongo|Nara Institute of Science and Technology|奈良先端科学技術大学院大学|Nara Sentan Kagaku Gijutsu Daigakuin Daigaku}}, abbreviated as NAIST, is a Japanese national university located in Ikoma, Nara of Kansai Science City. It was founded in 1991 with a focus on research and consists solely of graduate schools in three integrated areas: Biological Sciences, Information Sciences, and Material Sciences.

In the "Evaluation of Achievements Related to the 2nd Medium-term Goals and Plans" (2010–2015) conducted by the Japanese government for national universities, NAIST was evaluated as exceedingly superior especially concerning research levels (one of five institutions from the 86 national universities).[http://www.naist.jp/en/education_research/pre/ 2017/12/21, Asahi Shimbun, front page] cited on NAIST official web site In 2010, NAIST ranked first overall among the 86 Japanese national universities by the Japanese government in its first-ever six-year (2005–2010) assessment of national university standards and achievements.[http://www.naist.jp/en/university_news/doc/viewer.php?cid=33 2010/03/25, Asahi Shimbun, front page] cited on NAIST official web site

The university has a total of about 1,000 Master's and Doctoral students in its three graduate schools (2010),[http://www.naist.jp/about-student/a05_e.html Number of Students] on NAIST official website accessed at Oct 10, 2012 among which more than 20% are international students (2017).[http://www.naist.jp/admission/d03_06_e.html Number of International Students] on NAIST official website accessed at Oct 10, 2012 There are about 200 faculty members and 170 staff (2010).[http://www.naist.jp/about/a04_03_e.html Number of Faculty] on NAIST official website accessed at Oct 10, 2012

In 2018, NAIST underwent an organizational transformation to continue research in these areas while promoting interdisciplinary research and education across traditional fields.{{Cite web|url=http://www.naist.jp/en/about_naist/|title=About NAIST｜NARA Institute of Science and Technology|website=www.naist.jp|access-date=2019-01-28}}

History

NAIST was founded in 1991 with the establishment of the Graduate School of Information Science and the University Library, followed by the Graduate School of Biological Sciences the next year. The first master's students were admitted in 1993, and doctoral students were first admitted in 1996, which is also the year the Graduate School of Materials Science was established. The establishment of the Venture Business Laboratory and the Intellectual Property Division in 2003 furthered the university's drive to utilize research results to secure patents and licenses, and form new businesses. In 2004, along with all of Japan's national universities, NAIST became an independent National University Corporation.

1991: Establishment of the Nara Institute of Science and Technology, including the Graduate School of Information Science and University Library
1992: Establishment of the Graduate School of Biological Sciences
1993: Establishment of the Research and Education Center for Genetic Information
1994: Establishment of the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology
1996: Establishment of the Graduate School of Materials Science
1998: Establishment of the Research and Education Center for Materials Science
2003: Establishment of the Venture Business laboratory
April 2011: Establishment of Department of Information Science, Graduate School of Information Science | Establishment of Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Biological Sciences
April 2013: Establishment of Career Services Office
April 2015: Establishment of Center for Strategy and Planning established | Establishment of Institute for Educational Initiatives | Establishment of Institute for Research Initiatives| Closing of Center for International Relations | Closing of Institute of Research Initiatives
April 2017: Establishment of Data Science Center
April 2018: Department of Science and Technology, Graduate School of Science and Technology established and students accepted (The merging of the Graduate School of Information Science, Graduate School of Biological Sciences and the Graduate School of Materials Science)

Organization

=Graduate schools (after 2018)=

From April 2018, the past three graduate schools (Graduate School of Information Sciences, Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Materials Science) were integrated into one research department, Graduate School of Science and Technology.

=Graduate schools (before 2017)=

Graduate School of Biological Sciences{{cite web|url=http://bsw3.naist.jp/eng/|title=TOP - NAIST-GSBS|access-date=29 July 2016}}
Division of Plant Biology
Division of Biomedical Science
Division of Systems Biology
Plant Global Education Project
Global COE Program Special Research Group
Graduate School of Information Science{{cite web|url=http://isw3.naist.jp/home-en.html|title=NAIST Graduate School of Information Science|access-date=29 July 2016}}
Division of Computer Science
Division of Media Informatics
Division of Applied Informatics
Graduate School of Materials Science[http://mswebs.naist.jp/english/index.html NAIST Graduate School of Materials Science Homepage]

=Centers and facilities=

Life Science Collaboration Center
Center for Material Research Platform
Information Initiative Center
Center for Frontier Science and Technology
Center for Industry-Government-Academia Collaboration{{cite web|url=http://ipw.naist.jp/sankan/index_en.html|title=NAIST Division for Industry-Government-Academia Collaboration|access-date=29 July 2016}}
Center for International Relations{{cite web|url=http://www.naist.jp/cir/index_en.html|title=DGE|access-date=29 July 2016}}

Notable research

Notable researchers

Shinya Yamanaka – Former professor, 2012 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine winner
Kimito Funatsu – Research director of the Data Science Center, 2019 Herman Skolnik Award winner