Karin Markides, an analytical chemist who as a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has been involved in the selection of the Nobel Prize in chemistry, will take over as president and CEO of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) on Thursday, the university said.
Markides, who previously served as president of American University of Armenia and president of Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, was selected from a pool of 370 candidates from around the world. She was among the three finalists who were invited to Okinawa in November for interviews with search committee members, faculty and staff, according to officials of the graduate-level research university, set up in 2011 with funding from the Cabinet Office.
Markides, who will become OIST’s third president, told a news conference on Tuesday that she will work closely with other academic institutions, industry and local partners to nurture the next generation of global leaders in science and business.
“The immediate goal is to identify areas of strength where the intersections between knowledge, business and development can make a difference for a long-term sustainable prosperity in Okinawa,” Markides said.