Currently, Japan's industrial sector faces a major transitional period amid labor shortages and global competition for talent acquisition. Foreign professionals with advanced expertise and international experience are expected to support Japan's future cutting-edge research and innovation.
In April 2026, the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (President: Karin Markides, hereinafter "OIST") and Nara Institute of Science and Technology (President: Kazuhiro Shiozaki, hereinafter "NAIST") will launch a new platform called the "Foreign Doctoral Talent Recruitment and Development Salon" to promote the recruitment, development, and retention of foreign doctoral talent within Japan.
As a first step, the second half of fiscal year 2025 has been designated as the "salon concept period" and will involve a series of introductory seminars led by government, industry and academic experts.
The first kickoff seminar (online) on Monday, October 20, 2025 will introduce the current status of international doctoral students and graduates at both universities, as well as the universities' specialized career support initiatives. The speakers will also discuss the background behind the salon launch, and explore the challenges and possibilities that companies, the government, and universities must tackle together in order to promote foreign talent within Japan.
More information about this first seminar and subsequent planned events can be found below.
First Kickoff Seminar Overview
- Theme: "Foreign Doctoral Talent at NAIST and OIST"
- Date & Time: Monday, October 20, 2025, 10:00-11:30 JST (Online)
- Target Audience: Corporate HR and R&D managers, university personnel, government policy officials, media representatives, and the wider interested public. (Language: Japanese)
- Program:
- Opening Remarks: NAIST Director and Vice President (Education), Hirokazu Kato
- Lecture 1: "NAIST's International Student Career Support System and Thoughts on Launching the Salon" - NAIST Career Support Division UEA Special Assistant Professor, Naoya Taniguchi
- Lecture 2: "Career Support System for International Students at OIST" - OIST Graduate School Dean's Office Professional and Career Development Program Specialist, Aya Puca
- Closing Remarks: OIST Dean of Graduate School, Thomas Busch
- Sponsors: Cabinet Office, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
Significance and Purpose of This Salon
Foreign doctoral talent, who possess both advanced expertise (doctoral degrees) and international experience (foreign nationality and English proficiency), are expected to serve as immediate assets and future core personnel supporting Japan's cutting-edge research and industry. However, currently there is limited sharing of visions, initiatives, and knowledge among companies, universities, and government agencies. We believe that multi-layered dialogue and strategic collaboration are essential for true reform. NAIST and OIST aim to promote the success of foreign doctoral talent in Japan by combining their experience in supporting doctoral international students and fostering dialogue and collaboration across industry-academia-government boundaries.
Main Activities
This salon will develop activities centered on the following four pillars:
- Sharing Best Practices and Visualizing Challenges in Domestic Companies: Provide examples of companies that have successfully introduced and retained foreign doctoral talent, and clarify challenges.
- Social Dissemination of University Initiatives: Widely communicate to society the universities' efforts in recruiting, developing, and providing career support for doctoral international students.
- Policy Recommendations through Collaboration with Government: Collaborate with government agencies to contribute to policy recommendations and improve the effectiveness of measures.
- Building a Sustainable Ecosystem: Construct an ecosystem co-created by industry, academia, and government for foreign doctoral talent to continue thriving.
Planned Seminar Series
- 1st Session: NAIST/OIST Kickoff Seminar (October 2025)
- 2nd Session: "Diversity Promotion and Diversity Management - Expectations for Foreign Doctoral Talent" (around November 2025) Speaker: Chiharu Takakura, Former Director (CHRO) of Rohto Pharmaceutical, Co-Representative of Takakura & Company LLC
- 3rd Session: "Results and Future Prospects of the PEAKS Platform for Promoting Private Sector Participation of Doctoral Graduates" (around December 2025) Speaker: Cabinet Office, Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Bureau, [Name TBD]
- 4th Session: "Case Studies of International Doctoral Talent Success in Toyota Group's Global Development Overseas" (January 2026) Speakers: Masashi Nomoto, General Manager of New Business Planning Office, Toyota Connected Brian Rao, New Technology Development Group, Toyota Connected (NAIST graduate)
