The review and approval have designated integrated circuits as a first-level discipline!

According to information obtained by Semiconductor Industry Watch from multiple sources, the State Council Degree Committee meeting held this morning has voted to approve the inclusion of Integrated Circuit Engineering as a first-level discipline, and its separation from the existing first-level discipline of Electronic Science and Technology. The Integrated Circuit Engineering program is proposed to be established under a newly created interdisciplinary category. Once approved by the State Council, it will be announced together with the interdisciplinary category!

The establishment of a first-level discipline dedicated to integrated circuits has been under discussion for many years, yet it has remained unrealized due to ongoing controversies. As the field continues to evolve and change, the original classification of first-level disciplines has in fact become a constraint on the cultivation of talent in China’s integrated-circuit industry, thereby hindering the healthy development of China’s IC sector. Against the backdrop of U.S.-China trade tensions, this issue has been dramatically exacerbated.

As early as October 8 last year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released a reply to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference’s proposal titled “Accelerating Support for R&D and Industrialization of Independent Development of Industrial Semiconductor Chips.” In its letter, the MIIT specifically emphasized the need to “promote the establishment of first-level disciplines in integrated circuits and further strengthen and enhance the demonstration microelectronics colleges.” The approval of integrated circuits as a first-level discipline can be described as highly positive news for the entire integrated circuit industry!

In response to this good news, a reporter from Semiconductor Industry Watch promptly reached out to Huang Letian, an associate professor at the School of Electronic Science and Engineering at the University of Electronic Science and Technology. Last year, Professor Huang published two articles—“A Brief Discussion on the Establishment of Integrated Circuits as a First-Level Discipline” and “A Further Discussion on the Establishment of Integrated Circuits as a First-Level Discipline”—which both garnered widespread attention within the industry at the time.

Just now, Teacher Huang shared his insights on the impact of elevating integrated circuits to a first-tier discipline on talent development.

“In fact, ‘disciplines’ are the fundamental ‘lever’ for developing higher education in China. A very practical example is the ‘Double First-Class’ initiative. The ‘Double First-Class’ refers to ‘first-class universities’ and ‘first-class disciplines.’ Naturally, first-class universities must be underpinned by first-class disciplines. Consequently, when conducting evaluations, institutions are assessed based on the quality of their disciplines, and funding allocations are made according to the development of these disciplines. Without independent disciplines, there would be no direct evaluation system, nor would there be dedicated funding for their development. Under the previous model, integrated circuits were scattered across various disciplines. As a result, funding for their development was effectively subject to ‘secondary allocation’—and sometimes even ‘tertiary allocation’—leading many institutions, especially those with relatively weaker capabilities in integrated-circuit research, to often fail to secure adequate development funds. Correspondingly, efforts to build up the faculty and promote teachers’ professional titles have also faced significant constraints or even outright suppression.”

“Moreover, if integrated circuits were to become a first-tier discipline, it would mean that the discipline of integrated circuits would be singled out and included in assessment and funding programs, thereby significantly expanding its room for development compared to before. This would first help build a more comprehensive and stable team of specialized faculty members, ensure that national funds allocated to integrated-circuit talent cultivation and research are used exclusively for their intended purpose, and also lead to improvements in issues such as graduate-school enrollment quotas. All of this will play a tremendously important role in promoting China’s future talent development, especially the cultivation of high-level talents at the graduate level and above,” added Professor Huang.

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