DGIST Establishes 'Semiconductor Contract Department' ... Recruiting 30 Students Annually Starting 2024

Samsung Electronics-DGIST Business Agreement

DGIST is establishing a ‘Semiconductor Contract Department’ in collaboration with Samsung Electronics to train specialized personnel in semiconductor processes.

On the 27th, DGIST signed a business agreement for the establishment and operation of the Semiconductor Contract Department at the university headquarters convention hall, attended by key figures including Samsung Electronics Presidents Nam Seok-woo and Kim Wan-pyo, and DGIST President Kook Yang.

Amid the recent global semiconductor supremacy competition, securing national competitiveness in semiconductors is a crucial issue. In particular, semiconductors are not only a core industry of South Korea but also a future advanced industry leading AI, autonomous driving, and robotics.

For this, continuous improvement in semiconductor device integration and high performance is essential. It is a critical time to cultivate key talents who can overcome the recent challenges in device integration and high performance and lead the advancement of semiconductor integration process technology.

For this reason, Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT emphasized the importance of establishing a ‘government-wide semiconductor talent training system’ last year.

A view of DGIST located in Hyeonpung-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu.

Accordingly, DGIST will introduce the ‘Semiconductor Contract Department’ in cooperation with Samsung Electronics and begin nurturing core talents. DGIST will operate the Semiconductor Contract Department as a 5-year integrated bachelor’s and master’s program, selecting 30 freshmen annually from 2024 to 2028.

Extension is possible depending on the personnel training situation. Additionally, students who are selected as scholarship recipients among degree holders and hired by Samsung Electronics will be trained as specialized personnel in semiconductor processes.

With this, the number of schools operating semiconductor-related departments with employment conditions in collaboration with Samsung Electronics has increased to seven, including Sungkyunkwan University, Yonsei University, KAIST, POSTECH, DGIST, GIST, and UNIST.

DGIST President Kook Yang said, “Utilizing DGIST’s top-level semiconductor research and education infrastructure in Korea, we plan to nurture global semiconductor experts who can lead semiconductor technology innovation in the field. Furthermore, as Daegu City and DGIST are collaborating to establish ‘D-FAB,’ capable of conducting everything from semiconductor design to analysis, we will ensure that DGIST’s semiconductor experts become the foundation for regional economy and new industry creation.”