By Gabby Chen

(JW Insights) Apr 26 -- Over 20 Chinese universities have received approval to set up new undergraduate majors in integrated circuit (IC) design and integrated system, according to a recent update of the undergraduate majors' catalog in 2022 by China's Ministry of Education (MOE).

The list of approved universities includes: Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT), Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU), Nanjing Institute of Technology (NJIT), Xiamen University of Technology (XMUT), Shandong University of Science and Technology (SDUST), Guangzhou University (GU), and Hunan University of Technology and Business (HUTB), among others.

BUPT said that it aims to tackle bottlenecks in high-speed communication IC and photonic chips with its new major. Its program will focus on cultivating students with a strong foundation in IC theory and specialized knowledge, as well as technical application abilities in design, manufacturing, and testing.

Meanwhile, NPU's program will offer courses in semiconductor physics and devices, IC design and tools, manufacturing, packaging and testing, and microsystems. It will also collaborate with top companies and research institutes to provide comprehensive and practical training that covers the entire IC industrial chain, said NPU.