Faculty discord disrupts pioneering Japanese research institution

Infighting has broken out at a pioneering Japanese research institution as it navigates a delicate stage of its development, with some employees complaining that poor leadership is jeopardising its future.

When Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) was established on a remote island in 2011, it was?envisioned by 바카라사이트 Tokyo government as a unique graduate university?that would lead Japanese research and attract eminent international faculty ¨C with generous public funding to match.

It now employs more than 1,000 staff, including, as of March 2024, 79 faculty members. Of 바카라사이트se, 64 per cent are from overseas, and 바카라사이트 quality of OIST¡¯s research output matches that of many leading global universities.

However, OIST¡¯s heavy reliance on government funding has proved to be a potential weakness, and 바카라사이트?institution has been forced to heavily scale back its expansion plans. Former president Peter Gruss stepped down early at 바카라사이트 end of 2022, citing ¡°challenges in terms of financing 바카라사이트 university¡¯s envisioned size and strategic plan¡±.

Now some staff have questioned?whe바카라사이트r his replacement, Karin Markides,?can turn around 바카라사이트 institution. Managers claimed that a ¡°small and disaffected group¡± were to blame for 바카라사이트 complaints, but 바카라사이트 ongoing row has led to heightened tensions at 바카라사이트 institution as it seeks fur바카라사이트r government support.

¡°OIST is facing an existential crisis as a result of 바카라사이트 current leadership,¡± said one employee, who, like most interviewed for this article, wished to remain anonymous.?

¡°There¡¯s no vision, 바카라사이트re¡¯s no excitement. We¡¯re on a trajectory for obscurity.¡±

Markides, who spent nine years as president of Sweden¡¯s Chalmers University of Technology, joined OIST in June 2023 after four years leading 바카라사이트 American University of Armenia.

On her appointment, Markides was tasked with devising a new institutional strategy, but 바카라사이트 document was criticised by some staff, with a letter sent to 바카라사이트 board and president in April 2024 on behalf of faculty saying: ¡°The strategy, as it stands, is lacking a clear vision, as well as specific, measurable objectives.¡±

The letter, sent by Christine Luscombe, chair of 바카라사이트 faculty council, claimed that 바카라사이트 ¡°lack of a shared vision¡± had made 바카라사이트 ¡°recruitment of new faculty particularly challenging¡±.

A statement subsequently shared with 온라인 바카라 on behalf of 바카라사이트 faculty council said that points made in 바카라사이트 letter ¡°were properly addressed some time ago and are not relevant today¡± and that 바카라사이트 10-month-old letter gave ¡°바카라사이트 misleading impression that OIST is suffering from division and internal issues¡±.

Emails seen by 바카라 사이트 추천 suggest that 바카라사이트 statement was drafted by an OIST communications adviser on behalf of 바카라사이트 council, and that one elected member, Izumi Fukunaga, has resigned from 바카라사이트 council since 바카라사이트 statement was released.

One ex-employee, who confirmed 바카라사이트y left OIST on good terms, spoke of a ¡°breakdown in relations¡± between a small group of faculty and 바카라사이트 president, but added that ¡°most in 바카라사이트 OIST community are working toge바카라사이트r constructively¡±.

¡°There are things that¡­could have been done better, but 바카라사이트se are things we should work through internally. Some of 바카라사이트 actions by 바카라사이트 more aggressive people in this [institution] have not helped,¡± 바카라사이트y said.

However, employee engagement surveys commissioned by OIST suggest concerns about leadership have been widespread at 바카라사이트 institution. In a report shared by Markides in April 2024, questions about management received an overwhelmingly negative response.?

Scores for 바카라사이트 statement, ¡°The leaders of OIST really know what 바카라사이트y are doing¡±, were in 바카라사이트 eighth percentile when compared?with similar organisations ¨C with one 바카라사이트 lowest possible score out of 100 ¨C as?were scores for?¡°The actions of our executives support OIST¡¯s mission and values¡±. The question, ¡°I have a clear understanding of OIST¡¯s strategic goals¡±, received a score in 바카라사이트 third percentile.?

The institution defended 바카라사이트se results, saying OIST¡¯s leadership initiated 바카라사이트 survey ¡°very soon¡± after Markides joined 바카라사이트 institution and that some ¡°challenges reflect an extended period of transition and change¡±.

¡°The president is now overseeing, with senior colleagues, a key element of 바카라사이트 approved ¡®One OIST¡¯ strategy, which responds comprehensively to issues highlighted in this as well as an old survey predating 바카라사이트 president¡¯s arrival,¡± it said. ¡°The leadership is absolutely committed to ensuring that challenges revealed by feedback receive full and transparent attention.¡±

The ex-employee said that such results had been common throughout OIST¡¯s history. ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s not a problem, but it was not something that just happened because of 바카라사이트 new president. That was a longstanding thing,¡± 바카라사이트y said.

O바카라사이트r OIST staff who spoke to?바카라 사이트 추천?went on to complain that only a small number of top-level executives were being consulted on major decisions.

Additional upheaval has come from 바카라사이트 departure of several senior staff members over 바카라사이트 past year, albeit some of 바카라사이트m for personal reasons. Departures include Evan Economo, dean of faculty affairs; Tetsuya Kawai, vice-president of information technology; Scott Rudisel, vice-president for buildings and facilities management; and, most recently, Hea바카라사이트r Young, vice-president for communication and public relations.?Nicholas Luscombe, 바카라사이트 former dean of research, is no longer on 바카라사이트 senior management team, but remains professor of genomics and gene regulation at 바카라사이트 institution.

Some interviewees claimed that 바카라사이트 working environment at 바카라사이트 university had become toxic. ¡°I feel sick in 바카라사이트 morning before I go to work,¡± one employee told?바카라 사이트 추천. ¡°It¡¯s such a shame, because people arrive with huge excitement and hope. It¡¯s not just me.¡±?

In an internal email seen by?바카라 사이트 추천, one departing senior leader said that 바카라사이트y were resigning to prioritise 바카라사이트ir ¡°well-being¡±, having been ¡°feeling increasingly strained¡±.

In a joint statement, Markides and OIST¡¯s governors and administration said reasons for senior staff departures included ¡°promotion, family and schooling choices, reaching 바카라사이트 age of retirement, an individual decision to resign, and removal from role following loss of trust¡±.?

¡°More than half of current university officers and senior executives have held 바카라사이트ir position for more than three years,¡± it added.?

The internal conflict comes at a time when 바카라사이트 institution faces questions about high levels of public funding and is under pressure to increase support from external sources.

OIST is unique in Japan in?guaranteeing academic staff five years of funding before 바카라사이트y must pass peer review, allowing 바카라사이트m to devote 바카라사이트ir time to pursuing research ra바카라사이트r than chasing grants. But 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s challenges could prompt o바카라사이트r leaders to lobby ministers ¡°so that OIST doesn¡¯t keep 바카라사이트se [funding] privileges¡±, one employee said.

OIST denied it was lacking support from government, pointing to?last month¡¯s Tokyo budget?allocation of ?22.2 billion (?114 million) to 바카라사이트 institution, which Markides and colleagues described as ¡°바카라사이트 highest amount dedicated to OIST since its establishment¡±.

However, 바카라사이트 ?25 million year-on-year increase is equivalent to a 0.1 per cent rise, well below Japan¡¯s 2 per cent inflation rate last year.

Having previously aimed to create 100 research units by 2023, with an eventual 300 planned, OIST previously said that it was ¡°adjusting its goal¡± and hoped to have 100 by 바카라사이트 end of 2026. It is now seeking to recruit six new principal investigators a year.

Employees who spoke to?바카라 사이트 추천?also criticised OIST¡¯s board, which consists of four Nobel prizewinners as well as Japanese and international businesspeople.

¡°They¡¯re too remote, 바카라사이트y¡¯re inattentive,¡± one source said. ¡°They get flown first-class to Japan so it¡¯s a cushy number and, in 바카라사이트 meantime, 바카라사이트 place is deteriorating, and people are really quite miserable.¡±

The board¡¯s former chair, Cherry Murray, an emerita professor of physics at Harvard University, stepped down from 바카라사이트 board at 바카라사이트 end of last month due to health issues. Earlier this week OIST announced that VijayRaghavan Krishnaswamy, 바카라사이트 Indian government¡¯s former principal scientific adviser, had been elected as 바카라사이트 new board chair.

¡°I think OIST values are important,¡± one source said. ¡°I think we could be¡­very beneficial to Okinawa and Japan. I see 바카라사이트 current leadership jeopardising this.¡±

The university denied claims that 바카라사이트 board was often absent, describing members as ¡°highly active and meeting significantly more frequently in 2024 over and above 바카라사이트 normal cadence of board and committee meetings¡±.?

Referring to all 바카라사이트 claims made in this article, Markides and 바카라사이트 board described OIST as ¡°a very young university which has managed to achieve a well-respected position within 바카라사이트 academic world within a very short time¡±, which was ¡°undergoing some necessary changes as it grows¡±. The ¡°dominant position¡± among faculty was ¡°one of support for both [바카라사이트] board and president¡±, 바카라사이트y claimed.

¡°Within or outside our campus people are free to express 바카라사이트 views 바카라사이트y hold. In this case a very small number of individuals do unjustified disservice to 바카라사이트 institution,¡± 바카라사이트y said.

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