Nara Institute of Science and Technology is located in Kansai Science City, a border region between Nara, Osaka and Kyoto in Japan. The campus is situated in a rural area, yet the nearest station can take students into the major cities of Osaka and Kyoto within 40 minutes.
The university was founded in 1991 with the first masters’ students studying here in 1993 and the first doctoral students in 1996. Back then the university consisted of graduate schools across three areas: information science, biological sciences, and materials science.
In 2018 the focus shifted to continue researching these areas while embracing interdisciplinary research and education across traditional fields. This has resulted in one comprehensive graduate school.
Each year the university attracts around 1,000 students, with over 20 per cent being international and over 20 per cent being female. In addition to the students there are around 200 faculty members and some 170 staff.
Researchers who have worked here or currently work here include Shinya Yamanaka Former professor and winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize for physiology and Kimito Funatsu, the research director of the Data Science Centre and 2019 Herman Skolnik Award winner
As well as academic facilities students here have access to a library, cafeteria, healthcare centre, student union and accommodation. International students will also have priority access to accommodation. There are also multiple extracurricular groups to choose from including the NAIST tea ceremony club, NAIST kung fu and volunteer club and an instrument circle.
