Li Bing-Ze, HR Director of the leading PCB and IC substrate manufacturer, Kinsus Technology (3189.TW), recently visited National Dong Hwa University to meet with President Xu Hui-Ming. They discussed future collaboration on the "Semiconductor IC Substrate Industry Practical Talent Development Program."

In response to the growing demand for talent in the semiconductor industry, Dong Hwa University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering partnered with Kinsus Technology. They received funding from the Ministry of Education in both 2023 and 2024 to implement the program, targeting recent graduates from the College of Science and Engineering. The program offers a nine-credit curriculum, including professional courses taught by industry experts, foundational certification for IC substrate processes, and corporate internships.

For the corporate internship, Kinsus Technology provides positions such as manufacturing engineer, process engineer, process integration engineer, equipment engineer, industrial engineer, and IT engineer. During the internship, students are treated as full-time employees, receiving a monthly salary of approximately NT$40,000 and full benefits, including labor and health insurance, retirement plans, and bonuses. Kinsus also promises to hire students who complete the program and pass evaluations, counting the internship period as part of their employment seniority. This ensures a smooth transition from graduation to employment, bridging the gap between academia and the workplace. Kinsus also offers a retention scholarship, awarding NT$250,000 for master's students and NT$200,000 for bachelor's students over two years.

Li Bing-Ze expressed hopes to expand the program beyond the College of Science and Engineering to include students from the College of Management and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences in the next phase. President Xu Hui-Ming requested that the university's implementation team work closely with Kinsus to ensure the success of the industry-academia collaboration and enhance students' employment prospects.

Program lead Professor Fu Yan-Pei noted that 16 students passed the IC Substrate Process Certification in 2023. He expressed optimism that the program will continue to develop professional talent for the semiconductor IC substrate industry and establish Dong Hwa University as a training hub for IC substrate professionals.