On January 11, 2025, Mr. Yoshitaka Ito, Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, visited the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST).
Minister Ito toured the campus with guidance from OIST President and CEO Karin Markides, and Executive Director and Vice CEO Shigeharu Kato. During the visit, Professor Noriyuki Satoh from the OIST Marine Genomics Unit provided an overview of the research being conducted on coral ecosystems in Okinawa. Minister Ito expressed great interest in the OIST's efforts to preserve and restore Okinawa's marine environment, particularly through research on coral ecology and genetic analysis.
Minister Ito signed the Golden Book and left a comment, stating, "I look forward to OIST's continued efforts in striving to become the world's leading university. I hope that OIST will leverage the unique beauty of Okinawa to achieve outstanding results."
Photo caption: From left to right: Shigeharu Kato, OIST Executive Director and Vice CEO; Yoshitaka Ito, Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories; Karin Markides, OIST President and CEO; Noriyuki Satoh, Professor of OIST's Marine Genomics Unit.
