July 3, 2024

UOW Malaysia makes history by joining Intel’s University Shuttle Program

First Southeast Asian university to join Intel’s University Shuttle Program

UOW Malaysia (UOWM) forged a groundbreaking collaboration with Intel to launch the UOWM-Intel IC Design Centre of Excellence at its Batu Kawan campus, making history as Southeast Asia's first university in Intel’s University Shuttle Program.

UOWM joins the ranks of other prestigious universities in the USA that Intel is partnering with - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, and the University of California Berkeley.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by Prof Dr. Chong Beng Keok, Vice Chancellor of UOWM KDU Penang University College and Mr. Suresh Kumar, Vice President and Design Engineering General Manager, Malaysia Design Center Intel Corporation, in the presence of the Chief Minister of Penang, YAB Chow Kon Yeow, who also officially inaugurated the launch of the UOWM-Intel IC Design Centre of Excellence.

Also present at the launch event from UOW global campuses were Professor Christian Ritz, Dean Global Academic Affairs, UOW Global Enterprises and Prof Mohamed-Vall M. Salem, President of UOW Dubai.

“This partnership is not just about building a state-of-the-art centre, it is about preparing our students for the digital economy of tomorrow. As technology transforms industries worldwide, it is crucial that education keeps pace," Minister Kon Yeow said.

"The global semiconductor market was valued at approximately USD 574 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach around USD 1 trillion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of about 7%. This highlights the immense potential and opportunities in the semiconductor sector, making this collaboration even more significant”.

Intel’s University Shuttle Programme is aimed at collaborating with universities to give academics and students access to their semiconductor chips, thereby accelerating research and development and expanding their semiconductor talent pipeline for the future.

Through this partnership, Intel offers UOWM and its network of campuses its advanced Intel i16 Process Design Kit (PDK) that enables the optimisation of chip designs for specific processes.

This will offer UOWM and UOW staff and students in Australia, Dubai and Hong Kong a unique opportunity to utilise industry-standard software to design chips, which can then be fabricated and tested at Intel facilities.

With UOW Australia’s 2024 QS ranking in the top 200 in the world for Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Times Higher Education 2024 top 150 in the world for Engineering, the UOW network of campuses are well placed to take full advantage of the benefits of the Intel collaboration to attain greater heights in this field of study.

The UOWM-Intel IC Design Centre of Excellence is funded by a generous grant of AUD100,000 from UOW Australia. Intel also graciously assisted UOWM to obtain 20 software licences worth USD 800 million at well below market price.

Building on this collaboration, UOWM revised its curriculum in its 4-year Electrical and Electronic Engineering degree program to include electronic design elements thereby equipping our students to be proficient in IC design. UOWM is also set to introduce potential new postgraduate offerings in electronic design. Our engineering students will have internship and job opportunities with Intel and will be working alongside Intel trainers to equip them further with the requisite design skills and technical knowhow.

Vice Chancellor of UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College, Prof. Dr Chong Beng Keok welcomed the collaboration. 

"Staff and students having access to Intel’s industry-grade PDK will significantly improve their teaching and learning on semi-conductor technology and provide them with a cutting-edge advantage," Dr Beng Keok said.

"The UOWM-Intel IC Design Centre of Excellence will be an incubator for ideas, creativity, research, innovation and invention. With the semi-conductor industry set to for exponential growth in the coming years, UOWM is poised to become the pipeline for industry-ready work force for Intel and other employers.”

As the partnership with Intel also involves training academic staff on chip design software, UOWM academics will have enhanced teaching capabilities, providing students with unique and valuable learning experiences. This collaboration also opens doors to new research opportunities, fostering advanced chip design projects and collaborations with local industries in Penang and across UOW’s campuses in Australia, Dubai, and Hong Kong.

The Intel partnership offers a strategic opportunity for UOWM to position itself as a leader in advanced electronic and digital design, catering to Penang's growing high-tech sector. This collaboration aligns seamlessly with the Penang State Government's initiative to establish the Penang Chip Design Academy, aimed at bolstering its IC design and digital sectors. By supporting the development of an IC Design and Digital Park, this partnership reinforces Penang's ambition to emerge as a preferred investment destination for design and digital businesses. UOWM will be the first university in the Northern corridor to support this ambitious digital design eco-system. 

With enhanced educational offerings, cutting-edge research opportunities, and access to Intel’s advanced technologies, UOWM is poised to lead in semiconductor innovation, meeting the evolving demands of the global tech industry and driving forward the future of digital and electronic design.