Opinions of the Ministry of Education and Six Other Departments on Strengthening the Cultivation of Integrated Circuit Talent

Teaching High [2016] No. 1

Education Departments (Education Commissions) of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government; Development and Reform Commissions; Departments of Science and Technology (Science and Technology Commissions); Departments in charge of Industry and Information Technology; Finance Departments (Bureaus); Human Resources and Social Security Departments (Bureaus); Foreign Expert Authorities; Education Divisions (Bureaus) of relevant departments (units); Higher education institutions affiliated with central government departments; and relevant units:

The integrated circuit industry is the cornerstone of the information technology sector—a strategic, fundamental, and pioneering industry that underpins economic and social development and safeguards national security. The current period and the coming phase represent a critical strategic opportunity and a crucial stage for overcoming challenges in the development of China’s integrated circuit industry. To proactively adapt to and lead the new normal of economic development, and to implement the “National Outline for Promoting the Development of the Integrated Circuit Industry” and the “National Medium- and Long-Term Plan for Education Reform and Development (2010–2020),” we hereby put forward the following recommendations aimed at innovating talent-development mechanisms for integrated-circuit-related fields, enhancing the quality of talent cultivation, and strengthening China’s capacity for the sustained development of its integrated-circuit industry.

1. Expand the scale of talent cultivation in disciplines and specialties related to integrated circuits.

Establish and improve a talent-development system for undergraduate, associate-degree, and postgraduate education as well as on-the-job training that is aligned with the development of the integrated circuit industry. Set up a dynamic adjustment mechanism for discipline and specialty structures, guided by the needs of the integrated circuit industry’s development. In line with the goal of building an industrial chain encompassing “chips, software, complete equipment, systems, and information services,” accelerate the cultivation of specialized talents in areas such as integrated circuit design, manufacturing, packaging and testing, as well as related equipment and materials. Encourage and support universities and vocational colleges (including technical schools) (hereinafter referred to as “various institutions”) to proactively align themselves with industry development needs, tailor their talent-development goals and positioning, add integrated-circuit-related disciplines and specialties, adjust talent-development directions, expand the scale of talent cultivation, and foster engineering and skilled personnel who are urgently needed by the integrated circuit industry and possess strong innovative capabilities.

II. Strengthen the development of disciplines, specialties, and departments related to integrated circuits.

Support universities in strengthening cooperation with leading integrated circuit enterprises within the region, national public service platforms, science and technology innovation platforms, industrialization bases, and local governments to jointly establish model microelectronics colleges. Relevant universities should incorporate microelectronics disciplines and specialties into their plans for building first-class universities and first-class disciplines, as well as into the implementation plans for educational and teaching reforms at universities under central government departments, ensuring adequate financial investment in areas such as the construction of teaching facilities and conditions for these model microelectronics colleges, the recruitment of high-level faculty both domestically and internationally, the implementation of effective integrated industry-academia collaboration, and the promotion of international cooperation and exchanges. These universities should actively support the steady expansion of enrollment in undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs related to microelectronics through incremental adjustments to enrollment plans and reallocation of existing quotas. Other universities offering microelectronics-related majors may, by reference to the construction requirements of the model microelectronics colleges, initiate their own preparatory efforts; once they meet the requisite conditions, they will be eligible to benefit from the support policies designed for the model microelectronics colleges.

III. Innovate the talent-development mechanism for integrated circuits

Promote the integrated collaboration between industry, academia, and research in talent development. All types of institutions should proactively strengthen cooperation with integrated circuit-related enterprises, jointly defining training objectives, co-designing curricula, co-developing teaching materials, co-building teaching teams, and co-establishing internship and practical training platforms. Integrated circuit enterprises should deeply engage in talent development by jointly undertaking scientific research projects, participating in the "Outstanding Engineer Education and Training Program," establishing off-campus practice education bases, and accepting students for internships and practical training, thereby closely aligning talent cultivation with the development of the integrated circuit industry. All types of institutions and enterprises should formulate policies to facilitate flexible mobility among teachers, enterprise engineering technicians, and management personnel. Teachers should be encouraged to take up temporary positions or engage in collaborative research at integrated circuit enterprises, thereby enhancing their engineering practice capabilities. Experienced engineering technicians and managers from enterprises should also be encouraged to serve as student mentors, teach courses, or deliver lectures.

4. Build a public practice platform for cultivating integrated circuit talent.

In key development zones for the integrated circuit industry, we will establish and deploy integrated circuit industry-academia-research collaboration platforms for joint talent cultivation, providing internship and training opportunities. We will coordinate resources from various institutions—including universities, enterprises, and other stakeholders—to build regionally shared, practice-oriented platforms that integrate education, training, and research for cultivating process-oriented talent. Additionally, leveraging the support of enterprises, we will set up specialized practice platforms for packaging and testing talent development, thereby nurturing and training professionals in process and packaging/testing fields. Through the co-construction of joint laboratories and bases, we will create practical platforms for integrated circuit design talent development, offering students networked internship and training opportunities as well as channels for innovation and entrepreneurship that connect them directly to the market, thus fostering and training design-oriented talent. Relying on these platforms, we will promote cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary talent cultivation, attracting more professionals from related fields to join the integrated circuit industry. Furthermore, we will offer continuing education and on-the-job training programs to enhance the professional competence of existing practitioners.

V. Build a platform for industry-academia collaborative education and talent development.

Establish a school-enterprise matchmaking online platform to publish information on internship positions and part-time mentors at integrated circuit enterprises, thereby providing students with more opportunities for internships, practical training, and exchanges between university faculty and enterprise professionals. Implement comprehensive reform projects for industry-academia collaborative majors, leveraging the latest demands of industrial development to drive reforms in talent cultivation. Launch the Joint Fund Project for College Students’ Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training, guiding students to carry out innovative and entrepreneurial practices centered on real-world business challenges. Encourage leading integrated circuit enterprises to provide training for teachers based on the latest developments in industrial technologies and the most recent requirements for talent cultivation. Promote collaboration between enterprises and various educational institutions to co-develop online courses, offering students access to resources for learning new technologies. Establish a mechanism for connecting industry enterprises, venture capital firms, and universities’ innovation and entrepreneurship projects, thereby facilitating the commercialization and industrialization of scientific and technological achievements.

6. Enhance the professional competence of integrated circuit practitioners.

Relying on the Professional and Technical Talent Knowledge Update Project, we will extensively carry out continuing education activities, support relevant regional departments in hosting national-level advanced training programs, and adopt various approaches to vigorously cultivate and train high-level, urgently needed, and key professional and technical personnel in the integrated circuit field. We will also conduct targeted overseas (or cross-border) training programs and promote the development of the National Software and Integrated Circuit Talent International Training Base. We will develop top-tier international talent training resources to enhance the relevance and effectiveness of our training initiatives. Enterprises are encouraged to make full use of their existing resources to establish sustainable, socially-oriented talent development and training institutions that can accept students for production internships and practical training, as well as provide on-the-job training tailored to industry needs. Universities are encouraged to enroll working professionals from enterprises in master’s and doctoral programs in engineering.

7. Optimize the recruitment and utilization of integrated circuit talent.

Leveraging existing national talent programs, further intensify support for attracting outstanding talent in the integrated circuit sector. Study and introduce priority policies aimed at attracting top-notch entrepreneurs as well as high-caliber technical and management teams. Explore establishing a database of high-end talent initiatives, and within the comprehensive innovation and reform pilot zones, prioritize the exploration of policies designed to attract integrated circuit talent. Provide favorable conditions for talent in related fields to return to China (or come to China) and engage in innovative entrepreneurship. Strengthen financial support for the recruitment of integrated circuit talent through existing channels.

8. Increase policy support for cultivating talent in the integrated circuit industry.

The national public service platforms and industrialization bases participating in the joint construction of model microelectronics colleges will receive priority support in terms of funding and projects. Reasonable expenditures incurred by high-tech enterprises and technologically advanced service enterprises in the microelectronics sector for student internships, establishment of practical training bases, and other forms of school-enterprise cooperation in talent development—provided such expenditures comply with tax laws—will be deductible when calculating taxable income. Participation of enterprises in school-enterprise cooperation for talent development will be incorporated as a criterion for enterprise ratings and awards. In integrated circuit industrialization projects, support for student internships and practical training will be strengthened.

9. Strengthen leadership over talent development in the integrated circuit industry.

Relying on the Special Task Force for Talent Development in the Integrated Circuit Industry, we are responsible for implementing the annual key tasks outlined by the National Leading Group for the Development of the Integrated Circuit Industry, in accordance with the "National Outline for Promoting the Development of the Integrated Circuit Industry." We will conduct research on key issues in building an integrated circuit talent pool and establish a sound integrated circuit talent system. We will also study and introduce talent support and incentive policies to promote the alignment between industrial policies and talent policies. We will leverage the roles of the Working Group and Expert Panel for the Construction of Model Microelectronics Institutes, providing advisory and guiding opinions on the development of these model institutes and driving reforms in higher education institutions’ talent cultivation models. Furthermore, we will fully harness the role of the Alliance for Industry-Academia Integration and Development of Model Microelectronics Institutes, exploring institutionalized working mechanisms, pooling resources from multiple stakeholders, and developing long-term, sustainable mechanisms for industry-academia collaborative cultivation of integrated circuit talents.

Educational administrative departments and relevant authorities across the country should attach great importance to the cultivation of integrated circuit talent. They should, in light of local conditions, guide institutions of all kinds and enterprises to strengthen cooperation, innovate talent-development mechanisms, and enhance the quality of talent cultivation, thereby providing both human resources and intellectual support for the development of the integrated circuit industry.

Ministry of Education, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Science and Technology

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Finance

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, State Administration of Foreign Experts

(According to the website of the Ministry of Education)