令和6年8月10日から23日にかけ、日米大学パートナーシップ UPWARDS for the Future（以下UPWARDS）の取組の一環で、本学工学部電気情報工学科から12名、大学院システム情報科学府から5名の学生が米国ニューヨーク州のロチェスター工科大学（Rochester Institute of Technology）で2週間に渡る半導体に関する教育プログラムに参加しました。

UPWARDSは2023年に発足した本学を含む日米11大学によるコンソーシアムで、日米企業の寄付金に基づき、未来の半導体人材の育成等に取り組んでいます。

今回のプログラムに参加した学生達は半導体の基礎から応用まで学び、クリーンルームで実際に太陽光発電素子を作製するなど、充実した時間を過ごしました。 

ロチェスター工科大学でのプログラム終了後、帰国前の数日間を利用し、同州アルバニーのナノテク・コンプレックスにある企業のオフィスを訪問しました。米国で活躍する日本人エンジニアと触れ合うことで、学生の将来のキャリアについて考える機会になりました。

本学は、今後もUPWARDSの参画大学と積極的に連携し、優秀な半導体人材の育成に取り組んでいきます。

※UPWARDS：University Partnership for Workforce Advancement and Research & Development in Semiconductorsの略。

参加者の集合写真

On May 10, 2024, twenty-two students from Purdue University visited Tohoku University, a fellowmember of the U.S.-Japan University Partnership for Workforce Advancement and Research &Development in Semiconductors (UPWARDS) for the Future. Purdue University is one of six U.S.university members, and Tohoku University is one of five Japanese university members.

The student delegation was led by Purdue University’s Vice President Cristina Farmus and ProfessorGeorge Chiu. They visited the Center for Innovative Integrated Electronic Systems (CIES) and listened to lectures related to semiconductors. They also received a tour of Aobayama Campus from Tohoku University science and engineering students. Thereafter, the delegation and Tohoku University students enjoyed lunch together.

Vice President Masahiro Yamaguchi and the Global Learning Center’s Specially Appointed Professor Yoshitaka Kasukabe and Specially Appointed Professor Yumiko Watanabe also participated in the luncheon. They spoke with VP Farmus and Prof. Chiu about potential future exchanges between the two universities.

The visit is expected to further deepen the relationship between Tohoku University and Purdue University, which are mutually focused on developing talented individuals within the field of
semiconductors.

UPWARDS for the Future: Founded by Micron Technology, Inc., the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Tokyo Electron Ltd., and eleven universities across the U.S. and Japan, this project aims to develop talented individuals in the field of semiconductors. Tohoku University is one of five participating Japanese universities, which are joined by six universities in the U.S. Participating universities collaborate to create opportunities to share cutting-edge semiconductor technology and promote new research activities.

HENRIETTA, N.Y. (WROC) — Since the passage of the federal CHIPS Act, New York has seen significant investment in the semiconductor industry from a recent $40 million into the 1-90 Semiconductor Highway to Micron’s future mega-fab near Syracuse.

But this infrastructure needs workers, and an international exchange program between the US and Japan — started at the G7 Summit in 2023 — called “Upwards” looks to address the global need.

Locally, Micron’s mega fab plans to hire 9,000 workers, all of kinds.

“They need technicians, engineers, scientists, all the way from high school education, all the way up through PhD degrees,” said Karl Hirschman of RIT. He’s the Department of Electrical and Microelectronic Engineering and Director of Microelectronic Engineering at RIT.

Upwards is funded by Micron and the National Science Foundation. Six US universities, including RIT, and five Japanese universities are participating.

In this two-week intensive, students and faculty from Kyushu and Nagoya Universities attend lectures at RIT, and get an inside look into RIT’s hands-on, workforce development approach.

“Japan is a leading country in the world in semiconductor technology,” says Jing Zhang, Department of Electrical and Microelectronic Engineering. “If we could get feedback from them, on how to shape our own educational program better… It’s a win-win situation.”

The faculty of the universities in Japan said the access to the companies funding this program has been vital, and it’s a chance for their students to grow as well.

“It’s good for them to experience what other students are studying in another field, because now we are in a place where we need to do cross-disciplinary research,” said Emanuel Leleito, a professor of architecture engineering at Nagoya University.

All told, RIT, Kyushu, and Nagoya Universities believe this program will help talented people fill these spots around the globe.

“We’re trying to target the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, get the students excited about the technology, and perhaps some of the studies in the upwards program, might end up coming to RIT,” said Hirschman.

The technology isn’t the only part to get excited about: these are high-paying jobs. RIT says that a graduate of their semiconductor program can expect to make around $80,000 in their first job.

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