The IC Design Lab of the University of Da Nang-University of Science and Technology (UD-DUT) is equipped with a computer system with a Cadence standard circuit design toolkit. (Photo: udn.vn)

IC and semiconductor design has already been added to the curricula of more than 10 universities across Vietnam.

Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Da Nang University of Science and Technology, Can Tho University, Saigon International University, Phenikaa University, FPT University, among others, are taking in students for IC design and microelectronics courses for the first time.

“To help students prepare for a career, we’ve worked very closely with businesses to learn their needs so we can build appropriate training programs,” Nguyen Duc Minh, Vice Dean of the Electrical and Electronics Engineering School of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, said.

A free short-term course on digital circuit design with the involvement of IC design businesses in Hanoi was offered at the Electrical and Electronics Engineering School of Hanoi University of Science and Technology for the school’s 3rd- and 4th-year students.

Initially, the course was expected to enroll about 30 students, but twice that many signed up.

“The best thing about this course is that it gives me the opportunity to work with many large companies,” Nguyen Tuan Khoi, a student of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, said.

Another student of of the talented-engineering program of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, said that through this course, she’ll be learning skills that businesses are actually using and gaining experience in the basic design process, so she can get a job in IC design after graduation.

Trainees join the first upskill training course for semiconductors at Vietnam-Korea Information Technology University. (Photo courtesy of VKU)

The Vietnam-Korea University of Information and Communications Technology recently announced the enrollment of 500 new students in a semiconductor circuit design program which will last 4 and a half years. The first students will graduate in 2028.

Tran The Son, the university’s Deputy Rector, said that they collaborated with Kyung Hee University, one of Korea’s top 10 universities, to design this program.

Da Nang Hi-Tech Park and Industrial Zones Authority, Sun Edu International Education Company and Duy Tan University sign an MoU on January 26, 2024, for providing training in IC design. (Photo Courtesy of Sun Edu)

The Da Nang High-Tech Park and Industrial Zones Authority, Duy Tan University, and the Sun Edu International Education Joint Stock Company have signed a memorandum of understanding to provide training in IC design. Short courses will be organized to train 30 students at a time.

Dr. Le Nguyen Tue Hang, Deputy Rector of Duy Tan University in Da Nang city, said, “We have negotiated an agreement with a Korean national university so that Duy Tan students can go to Korea after graduation to study for a Master’s or PhD degree in semiconductors.”

A Semiconductor and AI Center for Research and Training, the first of its kind in Vietnam, has been established in Da Nang. The Center will coordinate this year with American tech giants, Intel and Synopsys, to train experts in IC design and AI.