Strengthening Vietnam-Japan cooperation in the semiconductor field: Laying the foundation for training and developing high-quality human resources

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister Bui Hoang Phuong said that the semiconductor industry is an area of special interest to both Vietnam and Japan. This is not only a technological pillar of the future, but also the foundation for the sustainable development of digital economic sectors. Vietnam wishes to promote cooperation with Japan through specific activities in training, research, technology development and attracting foreign investment.

The Deputy Minister said that during his working trip to Japan two weeks ago, he had meetings with many organizations, training facilities and businesses related to the semiconductor sector. The Deputy Minister hoped to welcome veteran experts from Japan to Vietnam to directly support training, technology transfer and promote the strong development of the semiconductor ecosystem.

On the Japanese side, Professor Tsuyoshi Usagawa shared that this working trip to Vietnam will last about 10 weeks, and he will spend most of his time working at Vietnam-Japan University with the goal of coordinating the development of a bachelor's program in semiconductors, a major expected to begin enrolling students from next September.

Professor Usagawa affirmed that he and his Japanese colleagues are very interested in Vietnam's policies and strategic orientations on human resource development in this key industry.

Professor Tsuyoshi Usagawa also expressed his hope that Vietnam-Japan University will become an important bridge, helping to expand educational and research cooperation between the two countries. Kumamoto University, Japan, is willing to share experiences, send experts to teach and support the construction of a training foundation for generations of Vietnamese semiconductor engineers.

Professor Usagawa also highly appreciated the potential for developing young human resources in Vietnam. Vietnam not only has friendly people and beautiful landscapes but also possesses a young generation full of aspirations, which will be an important foundation for developing a sustainable semiconductor industry in the future.

At the meeting, the two sides discussed many important contents, notably cooperation proposals from the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology , including: Establishing a semiconductor research and development (R&D) center at a number of universities in Vietnam, supporting equipment, research and training tools; Supporting the development of curriculum, increasing scholarships, student and lecturer exchanges, especially short-term training courses in Japan; Intensive training in materials engineering, semiconductor manufacturing, automation and quality control, to meet the requirements of modern industry; Sending Japanese experts to work in Vietnam, consulting on the implementation of national semiconductor industry development programs.

Previously, at the working session, Mr. Nguyen Khac Lich, Director of the Department of Information Technology Industry (Ministry of Science and Technology) said, Vietnam has issued the National Semiconductor Industry Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2050, demonstrating the Government's strong commitment to shaping Vietnam's position in the global supply chain.

Accordingly, Vietnam's semiconductor industry development strategy is built according to the formula C = SET + 1, in which: C is Chip; S is Specialized, developing specialized chips; E is Electronics, developing the electronics industry; T is Talent, developing human resources; +1 is attracting foreign investment to create a "plus country" position in the "X+1" model of the global semiconductor industry.

Japan is currently one of the world's leading countries in the semiconductor and electronics industry. With a comprehensive strategic relationship maintained and developed over many years, Vietnam considers Japan a key partner in the process of building a national semiconductor industry.

The working session ended in an open, trusting and highly constructive atmosphere, opening up many expectations for the strategic cooperation journey between Vietnam and Japan in the field of science and technology in general and semiconductors in particular.