- Keysight Technologies and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) sign MOA to address semiconductor talent shortage through hands-on, industry-relevant education.
- Partnership brings Keysight’s Semiconductor Basic Design & Measurement Lab to USM, with plans for advanced labs and photonics modules.
- Initiative supports Malaysia’s National Semiconductor Strategy to develop 60,000 engineers and strengthen the Penang Silicon Design @5km+ ecosystem.
Keysight Technologies Inc. has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) to meet the semiconductor talent shortage through experiential, industry-relevant education. As chief of Consortium E&E (CEE)'s university-industry collaboration, USM spearheads several semiconductor talent initiatives designed to address the developing needs of the electrical and electronics industries. Sharing a commitment to develop industry-ready graduates is the pillar of Keysight and USM's strategic partnership.
The MOA codifies USM's take-up of Keysight's Semiconductor Basic Design and Measurement Lab, an end-to-end, application-focused platform that is designed to provide students with practical design and measurement skills, as well as semiconductor technology practical knowledge. The collaboration also opens the door to co-creating more extensive lab content and Keysight's future deployment of its latest Semiconductor Advanced Measurement Lab, further enhancing the academic program with industry-relevant cutting-edge expertise.
The program arrives at a pivotal moment, with academic institutions striving to make education responsive to the changing demands of the semiconductor business. More experience with cutting-edge instrumentation and actual working practices will prepare graduates to confidently take high-impact positions. Keysight's turnkey lab modules are created to facilitate this change, bringing industry-level tools, design, simulation, and measurement methods straight into the classroom to create a future-proof workforce.
The partnership augments and enhances USM's participation in the 'Penang Silicon Design @5km+' mission to create a strong IC design and AI ecosystem within a 5km radius of the Bayan Lepas industrial park.
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In the future, Keysight will present a photonics seminar and demonstrate the Keysight Photonics Integrated Circuit (PICS) Lab. Silicon photonics, an imperative technology for next-generation data centre, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence innovations, is introduced by this cutting-edge lab module.
"Malaysia aims to develop 60,000 engineers under the National Semiconductor Strategy. It will take combined effort from industry and academia; to reskill and upskill our current workforce, strengthen our curriculum and conduct talent-building programs for our graduates. Collaborating with industry leaders such as Keysight contributes to our initiative in developing the next generation of engineers to finish up the Electronic & Electrical ecosystem", says Professor Dato' Seri Ir. Dr. Abdul Rahman Mohamed, FASc., Vice-Chancellor, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
This semiconductor workforce development partnership is a great example of Keysight's commitment to developing the next generation of semiconductor engineers. "By infusing hands-on lab experience into university courses, we're closing the gap between academia and industry practice. Through our partnership with USM, we're creating a repeatable model for academic-industry collaboration that has regional potential. The collaboration reflects Keysight's overall purpose to enable innovation and create a future-capable workforce through strategic academic partnerships. With the introduction of these lab modules, USM students will be equipped with industry-level tools and practices, empowering them with hands-on skills and confidence to drive the fast-changing semiconductor world," said Han Sing, Vice President and General Manager of Keysight General Electronics Measurement.
