Yongin City-UNIST, Establish Semiconductor Education and Industry-Academia Hub in Yongin

Opening General, Expert, and Internship Courses Next Year
Plan to Operate 'Executive' Course for CEOs and Others

Yongin City in Gyeonggi Province and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) have decided to establish an education and industry-academia hub for semiconductor specialist training in Yongin.

On the 16th, Yongin City announced on the 17th that Mayor Lee Sang-il of Yongin and President Lee Yong-hoon of UNIST attended a ceremony at the city hall to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two institutions for "training semiconductor specialists and building an industry-government-academia network."

Lee Sang-il, Mayor of Yongin (left), and Lee Yong-hoon, President of UNIST, are holding up the agreement at the "Semiconductor Education and Industry-Academia Hub Establishment Business Agreement Ceremony."
[Photo by Yongin City]

According to the agreement, the two institutions will build a semiconductor education and industry-academia hub in Yongin for specialist training. The hub will operate educational programs tailored to industry demands, provide research and development (R&D) technical support for semiconductor companies, and play roles in semiconductor policy planning and consulting.

UNIST will first operate a "Semiconductor Academy" from next year by utilizing part of the Yongin City Hall space. The Semiconductor Academy will consist of three courses: a "general course" for public officials and policy officers of affiliated and cooperative organizations, a practice-oriented "expert course" for industry employees, and an "industry field internship course" where UNIST semiconductor-related department majors gain practical experience at semiconductor companies in Yongin.

Additionally, the two institutions plan to open a "Semiconductor Executive Course" targeting CEOs, senior executives, high-ranking public officials, and researchers, which will be operated on a nationwide scale.

UNIST established and has been operating the first specialized graduate school for semiconductor materials and devices in Korea since 2021. This year, it newly established and operates a semiconductor engineering contract department in collaboration with Samsung Electronics. It was also selected for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s semiconductor specialized graduate school project. Notably, UNIST is the only domestic university equipped with nanofab process infrastructure and advanced analytical equipment facilities, and it has received high evaluations for its industry-academia joint R&D research achievements.

President Lee Yong-hoon said, "In Gyeonggi Province, which is centered on semiconductors, there is a need for a base for industry-academia cooperation, and cooperation with Yongin City will have a great synergistic effect. I hope this agreement will also provide good opportunities for companies in the Ulsan region."

Mayor Lee Sang-il also stated, "If UNIST, which has outstanding capabilities in the semiconductor field, establishes a semiconductor education and industry-academia hub in Yongin, many talented individuals will be produced. Yongin City will continue to expand the necessary residential and living infrastructure for them."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.