Tsinghua University in Beijing has formed an Integrated Circuits school to groom talent for the semiconductor sector, it said on Thursday in a post on its official website.
The institute aims to achieve breakthroughs in technologies that enable China to be self-reliant in microchips, according to Tsinghua University, which is one of the top schools in China. Integrated circuits have been a strategic focus among nations, said Wang Zhijun, vice minister for industry and information technology, during the launch ceremony.
In recent years, the competition has led to an outright tech war between China and the US, which sanctioned several Chinese electronics firms that are now banned from accessing American technology.
Tsinghua laid the groundwork early on when it established a semiconductor major in 1956. Graduates that occupied important roles in the industry in China included Jiang Shangzhou, former chairman of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, and Yu Renrong, founder of Shanghai-listed Will Semiconductor.
A few months earlier, in October, Nanjing Integrated Circuit University opened its doors as the first of its kind in China. However, it serves as more of a connection between enterprises and research institutes and only offers specialized training for professionals without granting academic degrees.
