Cultivating Chip Design Talent: Taiwan and the World Join Hands - NCKU Semiconductor Summer School Kicks Off
The development and education of the semiconductor industry are urgent. NCKU aligns with international standards, offering an all-English professional summer course in semiconductors for the third consecutive year through the Academy of Innovative Semiconductor and Sustainable Manufacturing (AISSM). The first session, from July 17 to 26, focuses on chip design, covering both digital and analog integrated circuit design over 1.5 weeks, combining solid theory with hands-on practice.
This IC design course has attracted 47 students from 9 countries, including the USA, Vietnam, Thailand, Canada, India, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, and Taiwan. Today's opening ceremony was hosted by Associate Dean Jen-Sue Chen of AISSM. Among the esteemed guests are Vice President for International Affairs, Professor Sun-Yuan Hsieh and a delegation from Thailand's King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) led by the department head. Assoc. Dean Chen welcomed the students, including the third cohort of NCKU AISSM. Thailand has 7 students from 4 universities, while Vietnam has 16 students from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City National Universities. Both Taiwan and the participating countries aim to enhance their semiconductor industries' economic strength and global influence through advanced technology development and high-tech talent cultivation.
VP Professor Hsieh expressed a special tribute to King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand, for leading a delegation to participate in the event to promote the exchange of teachers and students between the two institutions. He stated that as one of the nation's top universities, NCKU is committed to education and research development, leveraging key technologies to help the world and elevate Taiwan's presence on the international stage. He emphasized that this commitment will make the next generation more competitive. Since its establishment in 2021, NCKU AISSM has held an all-English summer school annually, attracting international students to Taiwan for short-term courses, expanding in scale each year, and promoting Taiwan's professional technological literacy. Additionally, by increasing interactions with foreign students, Taiwanese students' international learning perspectives are significantly enhanced. This series of activities aims to promote economic, technological, and educational cooperation with strategic countries, fulfilling the mission of AISSM and NCKU's crucial social responsibility.
A highlight of the IC design course is the hands-on experience with Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools, essential for modern IC design, helping students familiarize themselves with the complete process from circuit design to simulation. The course combines daily thematic exercises with practical operations, allowing students to solidify theoretical knowledge and solve various design problems in practice, enhancing their practical skills. During the course, a one-day cultural tour of Taipei, including visits to Taipei 101 and Hsing Tian Temple, is arranged for the international students to appreciate Taiwan's cultural richness.
Session I of the summer school, focusing on chip design, will conclude on July 26, followed by Session II on semiconductor supply chain technology, welcoming 22 more students from European countries, including the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania, and Italy. In total, 79 students from 14 countries will participate in the NCKU AISSM Semiconductor Summer School, completing professional semiconductor training at NCKU.
Taiwan's higher education has strengthened its links with foreign schools through semiconductor technology. NCKU actively engages in international exchanges, signing a MoU with Kumamoto University in Japan in 2023 and with Ho Chi Minh National University in 2024, sending professors in semiconductor and biotechnology to teach this summer. The AISSM collaborates with Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Netherlands, sending students and teachers to the summer school hosted by TU/e in Eindhoven, home to global semiconductor giants ASML and NXP, for establishing cooperative relationships between Taiwanese and Dutch faculty, students, and industries. In 2023, exchange agreements were signed with Kumamoto KOSEN and Hanoi University of Science and Technology, and an MoU with VNU University of Engineering and Technology. Additionally, ongoing research exchanges, course collaborations, and short-term or dual-degree programs are under discussion with Chulalongkorn University, Khon Kaen University, KMITL, and Suranaree University of Technology in Thailand.
Provider: NCKU News Center
Date: 2024-07-17
Group photo
Group photo of participating students (They are from Eindhoven University of Technology, University of Ottawa, Arizona State University, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Science, , Kumamoto University, Ajou University, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Suranaree University of Technology, Manipal Institute of Technology, National Cheng Kung University)
VP Professor Hsieh delivers a speech
Associate Dean of AISSM, Prof. Jen-Sue Chen delivers a speech
70% of students in this summer school visited Tainan for the first time