Peking University, July 20, 2021: Peking University officially inaugurated the School of Integrated Circuits last Thursday, aiming to cultivate talents in the field of Integrated Circuits and related, and impart on them the engineering and technical skills needed for the industry.
Integrated Circuits, also referred to as IC, is an assembly of electronic components, fabricated as a single unit, in which miniaturized active devices (e.g., transistors and diodes) and passive devices (e.g., capacitors and resistors) and their interconnections are built up on a thin substrate of semiconductor material (typically silicon). Known as the brains of electronic products, IC holds an important position in the development of the information technology industry.
The semiconductor industry in China is experiencing a surge in talent need, and many Chinese universities are creating new semiconductor schools to push the self-sufficiency of the China’s integrated circuit industry.
Peking University is known as the origin of microelectronics in China. It was one of the earliest piloted organization in China to recruit PhD and MEng in the direction of integrated circuits.
As a response to the national call for the development of the integrated circuit industry, Peking University became a pioneer institution and began to lead universities and domestic enterprises in 2019 to build a national integrated circuit education platform.
In 2020, Peking University successfully established the subject "Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering", aiming to build an innovative talent training system to support the rapid development of the integrated circuit industry. After years of efforts, Peking University established the School of Integrated Circuits, building a world-class integrated circuit discipline that hopes to cultivate young talents and meet the needs of the industry.
A special aspect about the program at the School of Integrated Circuits is that it seeks to be multidisciplinary. The School of Integrated Circuits is characterized by a multidisciplinary approach, where knowledge and skills are integrated and taught. It will strengthen the integration of computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, materials, and other advantageous disciplines of Peking University, deepen the cooperation with leading enterprises in the integrated circuit industry, and build an innovative ecological system for the industry.
The School's focus will be in five areas: integrated circuit science, integrated circuit design, integrated circuit manufacturing, integrated micro and nanosystems, integrated circuit materials and equipment; seeking to cultivate talents who will become all-rounded learners.
Wang Yangyuan, the honorary dean of the School of Integrated Circuits, shared that the School will prioritize training and cultivating exceptional talents and at the same time, focus on the application of research work.
In the following speech, PKU President Hao Ping said the establishment of the PKU School of Integrated Circuits is not only an aim to deepen the development of disciplines, but also an important contribution to the national interest. He further expressed three expectations for the School: the first is to cultivate talent and seize opportunity to prompt science and technology; the second is to utilize the essence of interdisciplinary integration to advance innovation; last but not least, to grasp the breakthrough point of the integration of industry and education.
The ceremony was also attended by representatives of universities in Beijing, enterprises, alumni and leaders of functional departments of the university.
Written by: Estella Zhang Qiming, Aneka R. Rajbhandari, Cherlin Xu
Edited by: Amanda Hu, Huang Weijian
Photo credit to: PKU Media Center
