New IC Design Master's Program Trains Talents for Semiconductor Industry

大學發展與公共事務處 Office of University Development and Public Affairs

香 港 科 技 大 學 HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 香港九龍清水灣 Clear Water Bay Kowloon

Hong Kong 電話 Tel: (852) 2358-6316 _{傳真 Fax: (852) 2358-0537}

Press Release

N

IC D

M

’

P

T

T

S

I

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) will launch a new master’s degree program in integrated circuit (IC) design engineering to nurture talents for the semiconductor industry in Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and the Asia-Pacific region.

The first of its kind in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, the MSc Degree in IC Design Engineering (www.sengpp.ust.hk/msc/icde/) will be launched in both Shenzhen and Hong Kong this year. In partnership with the Shenzhen campus of Peking University, the Shenzhen program is expected to start in June 2003. Classes will mainly be taught by HKUST faculty members. The Hong Kong program will be offered in September 2003.

Semiconductor industry is a global hi-tech business with a hugh potential for growth. Billions of dollars have been pumped into the industry recently on the Chinese mainland alone, in building fabrication lines and setting up design houses. With the shortage of IC design engineers estimated to be in hundreds of thousands, the pressure in training qualified people in this field to create high value-added chips is mounting.

“At HKUST, many of our trained graduates are working in the local IC design industry as well as design houses on the Chinese mainland, US, Singapore and other parts of the world,” says Dr Chi-Ying Tsui, Program Director and Associate Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. “Building on the research strength and expertise of HKUST, the new master’s degree program will offer a wide array of unique, specialized courses in IC design, analysis, microelectronics fabrication technology, testing as well as packaging. I have no doubt the professional knowledge and skills thus acquired will be highly valued by the IC industry all around the world. ”

The self-financed, part-time degree program is ideal for IC design professionals who wish to upgrade their knowledge, and engineers seeking career advancement in the field. To enroll in this two-year program, applicants are required to have received a Bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering, engineering or physical sciences with second-class honors or above.

HKUST is the only university in Hong Kong equipped with the expertise and infrastructure to train design engineers and provide technical support to the local semiconductor industry. In December 2001, HKUST, with the sponsorships of the Innovation and Technology Commission and local companies, established the first Semiconductor Product Analysis and Design Enhancement Center in Hong Kong to help local small- and medium-sized enterprises develop high value-added products.

For media enquiries only:

Jacky Tsang Tel: 2358-6306

Email: [email protected]