On August 2, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the National Innovation Center (NIC) had a working session with the delegation of Hiroshima University (Japan) and the University of Idaho (USA) to exchange information on the semiconductor training program and some related majors, and scholarship programs for Vietnamese students.

Working session scene. (Photo: PV)

Attending the meeting, on the Vietnamese side, were Mr. Vu Quoc Huy, Director of the National Innovation Center and representatives of NIC's professional departments. On the side of the delegation from Hiroshima University and the University of Idaho, there were Professor Shinji Kaneko, Executive Vice President in charge of International Relations at Hiroshima University; Mr. Torrey Lawrence, Vice President of the University of Idaho and a number of officials from Hiroshima University and the University of Idaho.

Director of NIC Vietnam Vu Quoc Huy. (Photo: PV)

Hiroshima University in collaboration with the University of Idaho is implementing a special program to train bachelors in semiconductors, taught in English for 4 years. According to the roadmap, students will be trained at Hiroshima University (Japan) for the first 2 years. In the 3rd and 4th years of the program, students will transfer to the University of Idaho (USA) and receive an engineering degree from the University of Idaho. This program is undertaken by lecturers at Hiroshima University and the University of Idaho and is supported by lecturers, research labs, and equipment from Micron Technology (a leading US multinational semiconductor manufacturing corporation, headquartered in Idaho and also has a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Hiroshima). It is expected that graduates of this training program will have many career opportunities in the semiconductor industry in Japan, the US and Vietnam. In addition, the tuition fee of the program is about 10,000 USD/year, which is considered quite favorable compared to the general level in Japan and the US. The program is expected to be implemented from October 2026 after being approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Government of Japan.

Representative of US partner. (Photo: PV)

Hiroshima University hopes that the Vietnamese side will consider granting scholarships immediately to at least 100 - 150 students, in which case the program can be implemented one year earlier.

According to Mr. Vu Quoc Huy, Director of the National Innovation Center (NIC): “Currently, NIC is focusing on short-term training courses to develop human resources in semiconductors and related industries (3- and 6-month courses), so cooperation with top universities in countries with developed semiconductor industries to implement long-term training courses is extremely necessary. In addition, NIC plays a connecting role, calling on high school students and university students in Vietnam to register and participate in the scholarship program of Hiroshima University and the University of Idaho. Along with the development of science and technology in the world, NIC hopes that in the future there will be opportunities to cooperate and receive active support from Hiroshima University and the University of Idaho in the field of semiconductors”.

Representative of Japanese partner. (Photo: PV)

At the meeting, the Japanese representative, Mr. Shinji Kaneko, Professor, Executive Vice President, emphasized the importance of long-term cooperation between universities and businesses, and agreed on the need to cooperate in providing scholarships, connecting students with future job opportunities and making the curriculum for high school students one of their higher education options.

It is expected that this month, the Presidents of Hiroshima University and the University of Idaho, along with representatives of Micron Technology, will visit Vietnam, hoping to reach an agreement with relevant ministries, sectors, and training institutions in Vietnam on a commitment to provide scholarships. If the program is implemented smoothly, the two schools can consider accepting students for Master's and Doctoral training.

It is very necessary for Vietnam to link and cooperate with prestigious universities around the world in semiconductor training for students, lecturers and engineers, in accordance with the priority focuses in each stage of Vietnam and the strengths of each specific partner.

International cooperation will help Vietnam quickly achieve the goal that by 2030, Vietnamese semiconductor industry human resources will be deeply involved in the design process of modern semiconductor microchips; deeply involved and mastering a part of the technology in the semiconductor microchip packaging and testing stage; participating in work and gradually grasping the technology in the semiconductor manufacturing stage; aiming for Vietnam to train at least 50,000 engineers and bachelors to serve the semiconductor industry in all stages of the value chain. This training program, if effectively implemented, will also create conditions to attract large Japanese and US companies to invest in the semiconductor sector in Vietnam, including Micron Technology./.