Chang Gung University joins hands with four major memory manufacturers to tackle the memory talent shortage

(Taiwan TB News Network / Reporter Chen Mingzong) The College of Engineering at Chang Gung University has joined hands with four major memory manufacturers - Macronix (2337), Nanya Technology (2408), Elite Semiconductor Memory Technology (3006), and Etron Technology (5351) - to sign an industry-academia cooperation agreement on the 12th, and establish a Master's Program in Memory, giving priority to cultivating elite talent for Taiwan's memory industry.

Both China and Japan have adopted cooperative approaches in developing their semiconductor industries. Japan established the Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) program in the 1980s for joint research and development to defeat the United States, and the United States subsequently established the Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology consortium (SEMATECH) to strike back at Japan.

Macronix General Manager Lu Chih-yuan, Nanya Technology Executive Vice President Su Lin-ching, Elite Semiconductor Memory Technology General Manager Chang Ming-chien, and Etron Technology General Manager Deng Mao-sung signed the agreement with Chang Gung University.

Chang Gung University President Tang Ming-che stated that through cooperative models combining theory and practice - such as corporate internships, corporate courses, and scholarship provisions - students can stay close to the corporate spirit during their studies, understand current industry trends, and attempt to solve practical industry problems, achieving the goal of being employable upon graduation and proficient upon starting work.

President Tang Ming-che pointed out that when people generally mention IC chips or the semiconductor industry, few think of memory chips as also being a key component affecting the development of the electronics industry. Taiwan's semiconductor industry job market has 300,000 workers, with an annual growth rate exceeding 10%. With the diversification of 5G, AI computing, electric vehicles, and electronic product applications, memory performance has become an indispensable functional element. In the future, Taiwan's memory industry is expected to invest more than one trillion yuan to expand capacity to meet long-term consumer demand, making the need for memory design and process talent increasingly urgent. University education should not neglect the talent gap in the memory industry.

Memory products are mainly designed and manufactured in accordance with international standards. Taiwan's manufacturing quality and cost are up to international standards, and it is worth Taiwan's higher education system investing more resources to cultivate its own talent and thereby support industry development. Currently, Taiwan's memory output value is approaching NT$300 billion, and it will double in growth in the future. However, the domestic semiconductor industry clearly faces a shortage of talent supply and demand, indirectly affecting national competitiveness.

To this end, Chang Gung University took the initiative to collaborate with memory companies including Macronix, Nanya Technology, Elite Semiconductor Memory Technology, and Etron Technology, planning a solid curriculum of one year of coursework at the university and one year of corporate internship, allowing students to simultaneously strengthen theory through professional courses and seamlessly connect with industry development trends, meeting industry needs ahead of time and ensuring that Taiwan's memory industry remains competitive internationally.

Dean Lai Chao-sung of the College of Engineering at Chang Gung University stated that Taiwan holds a leading position in the global semiconductor field and possesses strong competitive advantages. Facing future market demand, rapidly passing on knowledge and cultivating relevant talent is one of the primary directions for the country and major universities to strive toward.

The "Master's Program in Memory Specialization" planned by Chang Gung University this time is a collaboration with the aforementioned international manufacturers. In addition to offering corresponding courses and practical employment courses, Chang Gung hopes to combine the four companies' excellent industry strength with the university's on-campus resources, pooling and exchanging top technologies from both sides, increasing students' competitiveness in society, keeping good talent and good technology in Taiwan, while also enhancing industry quality, increasing relevant R&D capacity, and cultivating high-level professional talent.

Chang Gung University hopes to strengthen the international competitiveness of Taiwan's memory industry in all aspects - nurturing talent, utilizing talent, attracting talent, gathering talent, and retaining talent. Both sides will complement each other and create a win-win situation.
             Chang Gung University signs industry-academia cooperation agreements with Macronix, Nanya Technology, Elite Semiconductor Memory Technology, and Etron Technology