Monash University Malaysia and ASEM strengthen semiconductor education through IC design partnership
From left to right (Front): Angel Low (General Manager of ASEM) and Professor Anthony Guo (Head of the School of Engineering and IT). From left to right in between Angel and Anthony: YB Tuan Ng Sze Han and YB Tuan Liew Chin Tong.
Monash University Malaysia and the Advanced Semiconductor Academy of Malaysia (ASEM) have formalised a partnership through a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to strengthen semiconductor education and support the development of industry-relevant skills.
The collaboration marks the first partnership of its kind for both organisations and the first time ASEM has certified students from an external institution. Through the initiative, 25 Monash University Malaysia students received ASEM certificates recognising their successful completion of ECE4063 IC Design.
The signing ceremony was attended by Professor Anthony Guo, Head of the School of Engineering and IT at Monash University Malaysia; Ir Dr Patrick Ho Wan Chuan, School of Engineering Lecturer; Angel Low, General Manager of ASEM; and Yong Kai Ping, Chief Executive Officer of Selangor Information Technology & Digital Economy. YB Tuan Ng Sze Han, Exco for Investment, Trade and Mobility at Selangor State Government, and YB Tuan Liew Chin Tong, Deputy Minister of Finance, witnessed the signing.
ASEM works with leading companies and industry partners to develop semiconductor talent, and also delivers specialist training in areas such as digital and mixed-signal IC design. This gives the academy direct experience in structuring IC Design training and keeping its content aligned with industry requirements. In reviewing ECE4063, ASEM examined the unit’s content and delivery against its IC Design certification criteria, providing the School with an external perspective informed by ASEM’s own training expertise. The certificates recognise the students’ successful completion of the certified Monash unit.
From left to right: Professor Anthony Guo (Head of the School of Engineering and IT), Professor Stephen Boyle (Vice President (Education) at Monash University Malaysia), Ir Dr Patrick Ho Wan Chuan (School of Engineering), Professor Dato' Dr Ir Faisal Rafiq Mahamd Adikan (Vice-President for Research and Development at Monash University Malaysia), and Professor Narayanan Ramakrishnan (Director, Semiconductor Systems and Devices, and Director, Innovation and Research Enterprise, School of Engineering).
For students, the certificates recognise their successful completion of ECE4063, including its IC Design teaching, laboratory work, projects and assessments. They provide an additional credential for students to include on their CVs, showing that their academic learning took place within a unit reviewed and certified by an organisation with close industry ties. The certificate recognises completion of the certified unit; it is not a separate assessment of each student’s professional competence by ASEM.
For the School of Engineering, the partnership supports ongoing efforts to connect teaching to industry needs and to prepare graduates for a rapidly evolving field. It also demonstrates how engagement with industry organisations can contribute to students’ learning and strengthen semiconductor education at Monash University Malaysia.
The collaboration aligns with Malaysia’s National Semiconductor Strategy and its ambition to strengthen the country’s semiconductor research, development, commercialisation and innovation ecosystem. By connecting IC design education with industry and national training agency reviews, the partnership supports this broader direction through education and talent development.