As a national graduate education institution that specializes in teaching and research in advanced science and technology, NAIST tackles problems at the frontiers of science in an environment of interdisciplinary and international cooperation. Students and researchers have access to world-class facilities in a stimulating environment, integrating individual research achievements with collaboration between different fields and offering a globally flexible education for scientists and technologists. In 2010 rankings issued by the Japanese government, NAIST was the top-ranked national university in Japan for both research and education.