On the afternoon of May 22, 2026, Vietnam – Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (VKU), the University of Danang, in collaboration with Mixel Vietnam Co., Ltd., organized a specialized career-oriented seminar entitled “Anatomy of IC Design Jobs”. The program served as an important bridge between the university and industry, enabling students to gain practical insights into the semiconductor industry, IC design processes, and career opportunities in high-tech fields.

Overview of the Seminar “Anatomy of IC Design Jobs”

Representing Mixel Vietnam were Mr. Bui Long Thanh – Senior AMS Manager, Ms. Ho Anh Trang – Layout Staff Engineer, and Mr. Tran Nguyen Phu Phu – AMS Staff Engineer, who also served as keynote speakers at the seminar. Representing VKU were Dr. Nguyen Vu Anh Quang, Dean of the Faculty of Computer Engineering and Electronics, along with nearly 200 lecturers and students from the faculty.

 Dr. Nguyen Vu Anh Quang delivers the opening remarks

In his opening remarks, the VKU representative expressed sincere appreciation to Mixel Vietnam for accompanying the university in sharing professional knowledge, career orientation, and practical industry requirements in IC design. He emphasized that IC design is one of the strategic sectors receiving strong support from the Government to advance the national semiconductor industry. This is also a modern academic discipline that requires students to have a solid foundation in mathematics, electronics, and programming, along with dedication and perseverance in learning.

Currently, the quality of admissions to the IC Design minor at VKU is exceptionally high, reflecting strong societal interest in this field. Under current admission regulations, admitted students must belong to the top 20% nationwide in Mathematics scores. Through this seminar, VKU aims to provide students with a clearer understanding of career pathways, thereby motivating them to become professional IC design engineers in the future. VKU also expects to further expand cooperation with enterprises in training, specialized seminars, internships, and recruitment activities to better align academic programs with labor market demands.

 Speakers from Mixel Vietnam share industry insights

 At the seminar, speakers from Mixel Vietnam delivered in-depth and updated insights into the semiconductor industry. Company representatives introduced Mixel’s development journey and its orientation toward developing high-quality intellectual property (IP) products for the global market. They also expressed their desire to strengthen cooperation with educational institutions in order to provide students with opportunities to access real working environments and enhance professional competencies while still at university.

Through practical sharing from engineers working in the industry, students gained an overview of the semiconductor industry, the increasingly important role of AI chips in the digital era, and current IC design directions. For digital IC design, students were introduced to the entire process, from system requirement analysis, chip architecture development, RTL design using hardware description languages such as Verilog/SystemVerilog, simulation and functional verification, logic synthesis, timing analysis, to physical implementation steps including placement, routing, and sign-off before fabrication. Corresponding to each stage are important engineering positions such as System Architect, RTL Design Engineer, Design Verification Engineer, Synthesis Engineer, DFT Engineer, Physical Design Engineer, Static Timing Analysis Engineer, and Sign-off Engineer.

 VKU students interact with the speakers

In addition, the seminar also covered analog IC design, including specification analysis, the design of circuit blocks such as amplifiers, ADC/DACs, PLLs, reference sources, electrical characteristic simulations, noise optimization, power efficiency, linearity, and analog layout to ensure stable circuit operation under real-world conditions. Through these discussions, students became familiar with roles such as Analog IC Design Engineer, Mixed-Signal IC Design Engineer, Analog Layout Engineer, Circuit Simulation Engineer, RF IC Design Engineer, and Product/Test Engineer. These practical insights helped students better understand the professional requirements, necessary skills, career development pathways, and job opportunities in IC design — one of the key technology sectors of the future.

Center for Learning Resource and Communication

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