(Left to right) UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College head of Batu Kawan Campus associate professor Dr Yeap Gik Hong, UOW Global Enterprises Australia dean global academic affairs Professor Dr Christian Ritz, UOW Malaysia chief executive officer and UOW Global Enterprises chief executive officer Asia Jennifer Ng, UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College vice chancellor Professor Dr Chong Beng Keok, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Intel Corporation Malaysia Design Center vice president and Design Engineering general manager Suresh Kumar, Invest Penang chief executive officer Datuk Loo Lee Lian, University of Wollongong in Dubai president Professor Dr Mohamed-Vall M Salem Zein and Intel design engineering manager Aw Kean Hong at the memorandum signing with Intel.
UOW MALAYSIA (UOWM) collaborated with Intel to launch the UOWM-Intel IC Design Centre of Excellence at its Batu Kawan campus on July 1, making history as South-East Asia's first university in Intel’s University Shuttle Programme.
The university joins the ranks of other prestigious American universities that Intel is partnering with—Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Michigan State University; and the University of California, Berkeley.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College, vice chancellor Prof Dr Chong Beng Keok and Intel Corporation Malaysia Design Center vice president and design engineering general manager Suresh Kumar, in the presence of the Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who also inaugurated the launch of the UOWM-Intel IC Design Centre of Excellence.
In his address he said, “This partnership is not just about building a state-of-the-art centre, it is about preparing our students for the digital economy of tomorrow.
“As technology transforms industries worldwide, it is crucial that education keeps pace. The global semiconductor market was valued at approximately US$574bil in 2022 and is expected to reach around US$1 trillion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 7%.
“This highlights the immense potential and opportunities in the semiconductor sector, making this collaboration even more significant”.
The MOU was signed by Professor Dr Chong (left) and Kumar (right) in the presence of Chow (middle).
Circuit of success
Intel’s University Shuttle Programme is aimed at collaborating with universities to give academics and students access to their semiconductor chips, accelerating research and expanding their future semiconductor talent pipeline.
Through this partnership, Intel offers UOWM and its network of campuses its advanced Intel i16 Process Design Kit (PDK) that enables the optimisation of chip designs for specific processes.
This will offer UOWM and UOW staff and students in Australia, Dubai and Hong Kong a unique opportunity to utilise industry-standard software to design chips, which can then be fabricated and tested at Intel facilities.
With UOW Australia’s 2024 QS ranking in the top 200 in the world for electrical and electronic engineering and Times Higher Education 2024 ranking in the top 150 in the world for engineering, the UOW network of campuses is well placed to take full advantage of the benefits of the Intel collaboration to attain greater heights in this field of study.
The Centre of Excellence is funded by a grant of AU$100,000 from UOW Australia.
Cadence, a global software engineering giant, introduced to UOWM by Intel, provided 20 software licences worth US$800mil at well below market price.
Building on this collaboration, UOWM revised its curriculum in its four-year electrical and electronic engineering degree programme to include electronic design elements thereby equipping students to be proficient in IC design.
Opportunities for students and staff
UOWM is also set to introduce potential new postgraduate offerings in electronic design.
Engineering students will have internship and job opportunities with Intel and will be working alongside Intel trainers to equip them further with the requisite design skills and technical knowhow.
Chong welcomed the collaboration, saying, “Staff and students having access to Intel’s industry-grade PDK will significantly improve their teaching and learning on semiconductor technology and provide them with a cutting-edge advantage.
“The UOWM-Intel IC Design Centre of Excellence will be an incubator for ideas, creativity, research, innovation and invention. With the semiconductor industry set for exponential growth in the coming years, UOWM is poised to become the pipeline for industry-ready workforce for Intel and other employers.”
Intel’s University Shuttle Programme is aimed at collaborating with universities to give academics and students access to their semiconductor chips.
As the partnership with Intel also involves training academic staff on chip design software, UOWM academics will have enhanced teaching capabilities, providing students with unique and valuable learning experiences.
This collaboration also opens doors to new research opportunities, fostering advanced chip design projects and collaborations with local industries in Penang and across UOW’s campuses in Australia, Dubai and Hong Kong.
Strategic importance for Penang
The Intel partnership offers a strategic opportunity for UOWM to position itself as a leader in advanced electronic and digital design, catering to Penang's growing high-tech sector.
It aligns seamlessly with the Penang state government's initiative to establish the Penang Chip Design Academy, aimed at bolstering its IC design and digital sectors.
By supporting the development of an IC Design and Digital Park, this partnership reinforces the state’s ambition to emerge as a preferred investment destination for design and digital businesses. UOWM will be the first university in the northern corridor to support this ambitious digital design ecosystem.
With enhanced educational offerings, cutting-edge research opportunities, and access to Intel’s advanced technologies, UOWM is poised to lead in semiconductor innovation, meeting the evolving demands of the global tech industry and driving forward the future of digital and electronic design.
