Accordingly, Synopsys will share training curriculum and licences to use its IC design software and tools with VNU-HCM students. The company also offers internships and jobs for IC design engineers trained at VNU-HCM at domestic and foreign businesses.

In addition, the US company supports VNU-HCM in training young lecturers in IC design through the short-term "Train the Trainer" programme. Lecturers from VNU-HCM will work at Synopsys for four months to foster practical knowledge.

Under the MoU, the two sides coordinate to develop the VNU-HCM Semiconductor Research Institute, to provide equipment for training and research for universities and startups.

According to Vu Hai Quan, director of VNU-HCM, Vietnam needs to resolve many challenges to develop high-quality human resources for the semiconductor industry.

To overcome these challenges, VNU-HCM and Synopsys will jointly take specific solutions to developing internationally qualified human resources in IC design.

Synopsys statistics indicate that over 53 per cent of engineers employed by IC design companies are graduates of VNU-HCM’s member universities.

Approximately 6,000 students majoring in semiconductor technology are being trained at VNU-HCM.

The tie-up with Synopsys is expected to facilitate VNU-HCM's training of about 1,800 engineers and 500 master's degree students in IC design by 2030. This will help the university realise its goal of being Asia's top hub for training, research, entrepreneurship, and innovation in the semiconductor field.

In 2024, VNU-HCM will open and recruit students to train in IC design and semiconductor technology at three schools, namely the Ho Chi Minnh City University of Technology, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Science, and the Ho Chi Minh City University of Information Technology.

Synopsys is set to shift its investment and engineer training to Vietnam as multinationals continue to leave China. The company, one of the biggest chip design software makers in the world, will train electrical engineers in Vietnam.

The company opened its first office in the country in 2016. Today, it has four offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Danang. Of the 500 employees there, approximately 400 are in research and development.