On the afternoon of November 4, 2024, Vietnam – Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (VKU), the University of Danang, welcomed a delegation from SemiFive Company, Korea, to discuss potential cooperation in semiconductor microchip training.

Overview of the Meeting

Attending the meeting from SemiFive were Mr. Brandon Cho, CEO, and Mr. Simon Lee, CFO. On the VKU side, Dr. Tran The Son, Vice Rector, was present, along with representatives from the leadership of VKU’s departments and faculties.

Dr. Tran The Son, Vice Rector, delivered a speech

Speaking at the meeting, Dr. Tran The Son, Vice Rector of VKU, expressed his pleasure in welcoming the SemiFive delegation to visit, engaging in discussions, and exploring cooperation in semiconductor chip development.

VKU was established in 2020 with an annual enrollment target of 1,500 students, achieving an average entrance score of 24 points across 16 majors and minors in the fields of information technology, communications, and digital economy. To date, VKU has nearly 7,000 students and aims to increase this number to 8,000 – 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students by 2025. The current staff consists of over 250 members, including nearly 70 PhDs and associate professors, making up almost 41% of the faculty. Furthermore, VKU has prioritized building a network of over 200 strategic partners, both domestic and international, including organizations and enterprises involved in training, job recruitment, and sponsorship. The university has also implemented cooperative training programs such as the Global Bilingual Program in English-Vietnamese, Japanese-Vietnamese, Korean-Vietnamese, and more. In addition, VKU conducts numerous activities, international academic and cultural exchange programs, practical projects, internships, business cooperation, and enhances foreign language teaching. Notably, 100% of students’ graduation theses are written and presented in English.

VKU, with its mission as a leading public university and a key provider of high-tech human resources for the country and Da Nang City, has taken the lead in announcing the enrollment and training of Semiconductor Design Engineers. The university aims to enroll about 500 new students from 2024 to 2027, including the transfer of 180 students from related majors to Semiconductor Design. VKU has partnered with the DSAC Center (Da Nang) and the Institute of Information Technology (VNU Hanoi) to organize training for 25 source lecturers in Microchip Design, as well as an Upskill course for 14 students. Notably, the 2024 entrance exam for the Semiconductor Design Engineering major, with a target of 60 students, has garnered significant attention from both candidates and parents, receiving over 1,500 applications. The total admission score, based on high school transcripts and grades, is 27 points, placing it among the top in the country.

Mr. Brandon Cho – CEO of SemiFive shared at the meeting

Mr. Brandon Cho, a representative of SemiFive, expressed his gratitude to VKU for their warm welcome and introduced SemiFive, a company established in 2019 with headquarters in Korea. Known for providing semiconductor design solutions based on the System-on-Chip (SoC) platform, SemiFive has quickly grown to make custom silicon chip development accessible and affordable. The company is expanding globally, with offices in the US, and India, and a branch in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where 60-70 engineers work on semiconductor design.

SemiFive representatives expressed a strong interest in Vietnam’s semiconductor industry’s growth potential during the meeting, particularly at VKU. SemiFive highly values VKU’s role in training skilled professionals in this field, meeting regional and global technology demands. The meeting also served as an opportunity for SemiFive to explore strategic partnerships with VKU, aiming to support the development of specialized training programs, expand research projects, and connect students with the international market.

The working session between VKU and SemiFive is expected to open up many prospects for cooperation in training semiconductor human resources, creating conditions for students to access advanced technologies and have the opportunity to practice and work in an international environment to serve the development of this industry in Vietnam in general and Da Nang in particular.

Center for Learning Resource and Communication

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