The integrated circuit industry is the core of the electronic information industry, a key force leading a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, and also one of the industries that is most symbolic and representative of new quality productivity. Data from the "China Integrated Circuit Industry Talent White Paper" shows that there is a talent gap of up to 300,000 in our country. The integrated circuit industry cannot be "short of core and soul," and even more cannot lack talent. Under such circumstances, the old professor of Tsinghua University, Zhou Zucheng, has been working hard to gather strength and initiated the China Graduate "Core" Competition, which has been going on for 7 years.
The competition is guided by the Academic Degrees & Graduate Education Development Center of the Ministry of Education, hosted by the China Academic Degrees & Graduate Education Society and the China Association for Science and Technology Youth Science and Technology Center, co-hosted by the China Integrated Circuit Innovation Alliance, and co-organized by the China Semiconductor Industry Association, the China Electronics Society, the Demonstration Microelectronics College Industry-Academia Integration Development Alliance, and the Integrated Circuit Professional Committee of the Tsinghua Alumni Association, with the Tsinghua Strait Research Institute serving as the secretariat. This competition is undertaken by Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan Talent Work Bureau, and the Management Committee of Donghu New Technology Development Zone, with strong support from the Hubei Branch of the Bank of Communications.
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On August 14, the final of the 7th China Graduate "Core" Competition was held in Wuhan, with 165 teams from universities such as Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology competing on the same stage for creativity and creativity.
From the 7th China Graduate "Core" Competition, we have seen the interaction between the industry and academia, and have seen four trends of industry-education collaboration in China's integrated circuit industry.
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Trend One: Continuous deepening of corporate participation
Deep participation in the proposition
In the 7th "Core" Competition, the presence of companies has become more active and in-depth. In addition to independently setting up topics in three major directions of integrated circuit design, semiconductor devices and processes, and EDA algorithm and tool design; there are also Huawei, GKE, Cadence, Synopsys, and other 8 optical valley integrated circuit key enterprises, totaling 18 enterprises focusing on the cutting-edge direction of the industry, setting up special topics for this competition and setting up special topic awards. Regarding the participation of companies, Tu Conghui, the Secretary-General of the China Graduate "Core" Competition and the Director of the Innovation Talent Department of the Tsinghua Strait Research Institute, said: "This year is the second session held in Wuhan, and it is the only one held continuously in the same place for two sessions. There is a significant change in Wuhan this year. The Donghu High-tech Zone has gathered high-tech enterprises in the optical valley, gathered about ten enterprises to set up topics, and issued them to all graduate students across the country, which is an attempt to accurately connect graduate students and local enterprises."Talent Market, Bustling and Thriving
Enterprises can more directly observe and understand students' abilities, innovative thinking, and teamwork qualities through competitions, and thus discover talents with potential. This year, the integrated circuit and chip design related professional talent special recruitment fair organized by the Chinese Graduate Innovation "Core" Competition was exceptionally popular. A total of 43 semiconductor integrated circuit related enterprises from all over the country, including Huawei, GKE, Cadence, and Synopsys, participated in the event, offering a wealth of technical internship positions, preferential treatment for written interviews, and priority recruitment policies. According to preliminary statistics, the enterprises at this recruitment fair received more than 2,000 resumes.
Li Chenbo, the HR manager of Jiu Hao Electronics, said, "The main purpose of participating in the talent market this time is to recruit students in the field of analog design. Since analog mainly involves ADC/DAC and other related backgrounds, students with relevant experience are the targets we will choose. At present, the company still has a strong demand for recruitment."
Ge Yufeng from Xi'an Jiaotong University, who participated in the talent market, said, "The talent market is a very good link, which can give students an understanding of various companies, and also provide better sources for companies in need of recruitment."
It is worth noting that the talent market recruitment fair this time shows the characteristics of diversification and openness. In addition to the team members who have entered the finals, the event organizers have also ingeniously invited professional graduates who did not participate in the finals of the "Core" competition to participate together. This move has greatly expanded the coverage of recruitment, providing valuable employment opportunities for more outstanding talents, and also built a broader platform for enterprises to select talents, promoting precise docking and efficient communication between talents and enterprises.
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Trend Two: Increasingly Extensive Participation of Universities
The participation of universities in this competition has reached a new height. Universities have encouraged students to form teams and participate in the competition, organizing internal selection and training, creating a strong atmosphere of innovation. This competition has a total of 858 instructors and 2,783 students from 169 universities forming 970 teams participating in the competition; among them, 165 teams entered the finals. The scale of the competition has reached a historical high.In this competition, the expert panel conducted evaluations based on four dimensions: "advanced nature, innovation, presentation effect, and application value." Ultimately, the Quantum Team from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, the Ride the Wind Team from Xidian University of Electronic Science and Technology, and the Light & Head & Strong Team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University bravely won the "Innovative Chip" Star.
In this competition, Zhang Yibin, a doctoral student from Tsinghua University who scored full marks in a single category, said that participating in this competition has brought new things and experiences, including content related to chip design, which has been very beneficial for personal growth. Regarding the interaction with enterprises, Zhang Yibin said, "We, who work in computers and chip applications, should consider more about how to turn scientific research results into practical benefits for society. Cooperation with enterprises is an opportunity to test and transform laboratory scientific research results. Our laboratory also cherishes this opportunity very much. In this participation in the Cadence enterprise topic, we found that the algorithms we wrote before still have some defects in the process of enterprise production practice. We have also made further optimization and improvement to meet the requirements of real production practice. In fact, this process is very meaningful for scientific research, enterprises, and even benefiting society."
Trend Three: In-depth discussion on the deepening of industry-university collaboration
The interaction between colleges and enterprises in the competition has further promoted the cooperation between industry, academia, and research. On the one hand, the scientific research achievements of colleges can be demonstrated and transformed to enterprises through the competition platform, achieving the docking of scientific research and industry. On the other hand, the actual needs and industrial resources of enterprises can also provide direction and support for the scientific research and talent training of colleges, forming a virtuous cycle of industry, academia, and research.
Regarding how to achieve in-depth collaborative development from academia to technology, from products to industries, Wang Zhimin, the Chief Expert of Huawei Hisilicon Industry Ecology, shared two key paths: one is that enterprises need to take action, truly invest effective resources, and work with research institutions to focus on real problems and solve them together; through joint projects, joint laboratories, joint innovation centers, technology forums, academic conferences, teacher funding, enterprise mentors, high-value scholarships, and other measures to help with discipline construction, talent training, and academic breakthroughs. The other path is that colleges need to be aggressive, with the goal of "1 school 1+n, top 10 in 10 years," and each college builds a "1 advantage discipline + n auxiliary disciplines" ladder framework, striving to make the advantage discipline enter the global top 10 in 10 years, becoming an academic and innovation highland. He said, "The goal of industry-education collaboration should be to create a dual first-class in academia and industry. Only first-class academia and talents can develop first-class products and industries."
As a platform for industry-university-research linkage, this competition also organized two high-quality forums.
Forum One: Integrated Circuit Industry Forum
On the second day of the final, Wang Zhihua, a professor at Tsinghua University and the director of the organizing committee of the "Innovative Chip" competition, presided over the roundtable forum on "Deepening Industry-University-Research Collaboration and Innovation, Promoting High-End Talent Cultivation." Miao Xiangshui, Dean of the School of Integrated Circuits at Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Vice Chairman of the Demonstration Microelectronics College Alliance, Kang Jin, General Manager of the Northern Integrated Circuit Technology Innovation Center (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Qiao Jinxuan, Vice President of GC Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., and Wang Peining, Executive Vice President of Shenzhen Unisplendour Corporation, participated in the discussion.
Miao Xiangshui, Dean of the School of Integrated Circuits at Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Vice Chairman of the Demonstration Microelectronics College AllianceMiao Xiangshui shared three perspectives on the current changes in the collaboration between industry, academia, and research in universities. The first point is in the field of education, where there is a need to consider how to cultivate high-quality talents that are in short supply in society and industry according to the needs of society and industry. In this regard, the microelectronics or integrated circuit colleges of universities are currently undergoing reforms from practical links to training programs. The second point is in the field of scientific research, where the current emphasis is on an innovation system with enterprise innovation as the main body. Universities are trying to cooperate with enterprises in cutting-edge and future technologies under this innovation system to assist in the development of the industry. The third point is in the field of talent mobility, where talent mobility between universities, research institutes, and enterprises is also gradually advancing. For example, university teachers used to study abroad for postdoctoral degrees and then return, but now they can also be introduced as talents after doing two or three years of technical research and development in enterprises.
Kang Jin, General Manager of Northern Integrated Circuit Technology Innovation Center (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
Kang Jin focused on how to make good use of the platform to achieve a win-win situation between universities and enterprises, and put forward suggestions. He said that the coverage of schools is very extensive, and the core is to focus on a certain field. Universities can select the platforms they need for close cooperation, but close cooperation is not just on the lips, but to find real projects and carry out project cooperation around the relevant scope.
University teachers need funds and platforms to turn technology into industrialization and finally into better articles, so that the results can serve the country, which is a win-win situation. The resources of the platform are limited, and the key is how the existing resources can be converted into short, medium, and long-term, with the short term as the main service to the industry's results, forming a virtuous cycle.
Kang Jin believes that the quality of students trained in the entire Chinese education system is very high, especially in the field of integrated circuits, where Chinese people at home and abroad account for a large proportion and have a great influence in the global integrated circuit circle. What the integrated circuit industry needs is long-term innovative talents, and the foundation of this is still in the school. Universities need to think about how to cultivate students to develop good academic habits and innovative thinking, and how to cultivate compound talents.
Qiao Jinxuan, Vice President of GKE Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Qiao Jinxuan pointed out the most challenging place for the integration of industry and education. He said that today everyone has reached a consensus that China's integrated circuits need to develop forward and require innovation, especially open innovation. The premise of open innovation is openness. How can different schools, different departments within the same school, form an open system to support open innovation, which is the most challenging place for promoting industry-university cooperation.
Behind the challenge lies the different demands of schools, teachers, and enterprises, which can easily form a closed system. A closed system cannot support the future innovation of the integrated circuit industry. Therefore, industry-university-research cooperation needs to find their own positions, and horizontally pull through and manage horizontally.
Wang Peining, Executive Vice President of Shenzhen Unisplendour Tongchuang Electronics Co., Ltd.
Wang Peining shared his views on the industrial value of domestic high-end talents and the way enterprises cultivate talents. He said that domestic high-end talents, such as undergraduate and graduate students from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Peking University, and other universities, have very good basic qualities. From the perspective of the industry, it is hoped that universities can establish a correct outlook on life and industrial values for students. The talents cultivated by Chinese integrated circuit field colleges, whether in technical ability or academic level, are first-class. The key lies in whether the students are willing to devote themselves to the integrated circuit industry and develop and precipitate in the field for a long time.He said, "In terms of talent cultivation, for all recent graduates who join Unisplendour, we will not blame them for making mistakes or experiencing failures. Enterprises should allow for mistakes in helping talents, as only by taking the wrong paths can one find the right one." He also suggested that universities improve the treatment of teachers and students in the field of microelectronics. Finally, he called on everyone that cross-company, cross-department, and cross-academy cooperation is an eternal topic, but against the backdrop of national development, at the current moment, all Chinese integrated circuit people should unite as one and move forward.
"Create 'Core'" Competition Consultant, Professor Zhou Zucheng from Tsinghua University
Professor Zhou Zucheng, a consultant for the "Create 'Core'" competition and from Tsinghua University, also shared his views based on more than 60 years of teaching experience. He said that it is wrong to regard the application of enterprises as the direction of university research. China does not have venture capital for universities. Whether enterprises can act as venture capital to invest in the scientific research of university teachers is something that enterprises need to consider. There is venture capital abroad, and it is not about seeing returns immediately. Taking Tsinghua as an example, if it were not for foreign enterprises that started investing in Tsinghua in the 1980s, their entry into China would not have been so smooth. He also advocated for enterprises not to completely orient teachers' research towards enterprise applications, but instead to give teachers some venture capital to do more cutting-edge research.
Forum II: EDA Industry Frontier Technology Forum
On the third day of the competition, the EDA Industry Frontier Technology Forum was held, with companies such as HuaDa JiuTian, Cadence, Synopsys, PeiFengTuNan, XingXin Technology, and JiuTongFang Micro participating in the sharing.
Professor Shi Longxing from Southeast University
Regarding the EDA industry, Professor Shi Longxing summarized it with three key words.
The first key word is: "rope knot." EDA runs through the entire process of design, manufacturing, and packaging testing. Without the support of EDA, the entire integrated circuit would be out of the question. This tool that connects the entire industry chain is likened to a "rope knot" by Professor Shi Longxing.
The second key word is: "ox nose." Professor Shi Longxing said that to make a good chip and push it to the market, it is necessary to rely on innovative design methodologies. However, having this concept alone is not enough; some tools are also needed to implement innovative design ideas. From this perspective, EDA can be compared to the ox nose of innovation, because "if you grab the ox's nose, the ox will follow you." As the ox nose of the integrated circuit industry, EDA is a key link in enhancing the capabilities of the integrated circuit industry.
The third key word is: "bottleneck." The main difficulties faced by the integrated circuit industry are caused by "one big and one small." From 28 nanometers to 7 nanometers and then to 2 nanometers, the size of integrated circuits is getting smaller and smaller, but the integration of chips is getting higher and higher. Now, a chip the size of a fingernail can integrate tens of billions of transistors. Solving the "one big and one small" problem depends on EDA, and it is for this reason that EDA has become the bottleneck of the integrated circuit industry.Huadazitian Market Cooperation Senior Director Yu Han
Yu Han stated that the compound semiconductor market is currently developing in a diversified manner, showing strong competitiveness especially in the fields of optoelectronics, microwave radio frequency, and power electronics. At present, Huadazitian's EDA can cover the entire process of the above three major fields, but there are some links that are not yet fully covered. In addition, Yu Han also demonstrated the actions and results taken by Huadazitian in response to a series of new EDA challenges emerging in the compound semiconductor market.
In the fields of power electronics and radio frequency microwave, Huadazitian has connected about 10 tools to form a full process solution, covering device modeling, circuit design, high-precision simulation verification and other links.
Cadence Digital Product Senior Senior Director Liu Miao
Liu Miao talked about the benefits brought by generative AI. Cadence divides generative AI into three levels, the bottom level is called the database, which plays a supporting role; the middle layer is called the application layer, which includes how AI is used on the tool and how AI can better schedule the tool; the top layer is also the most difficult, that is, how generative AI can help developers design chips.
Above the database, Cadence has built an application layer, covering multiple application scenarios such as design bottleneck positioning, project management, and clock number analysis, helping designers quickly find the best solution. In addition, Cadence's platform supports digital, analog, and multi-physical simulation, and is seamlessly connected with top tools at home and abroad, improving design efficiency and quality. Looking forward to the future, Liu Miao said that generative AI will not only be an auxiliary tool but will also be deeply integrated with human-computer interaction, becoming an important driving force for design innovation.
Synopsys Automotive Electronic Chip Verification Platform Expert Zhou Lei
Zhou Lei said that in the automotive industry, the electronic system is developing at an unprecedented speed, and its scale, complexity, and the key functions it undertakes are constantly increasing. With this trend, functional safety has become a core requirement for the design of automotive system-on-chip (SoC) and intellectual property (IP). To meet this challenge, Synopsys has launched a comprehensive end-to-end solution aimed at helping developers achieve the strictest safety standards at a faster speed.
Synopsys's end-to-end solution covers the entire process from architectural design to IP selection, to functional safety (Fusa) related design, verification, and final implementation. This solution not only ensures the high efficiency of the design but also helps developers achieve the highest standard of functional safety in the development of automotive electronic systems through the assistance of the entire process.
Suzhou Peifeng Tunan Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Chairman Shen ChenShen Chen stated that if we consider the various aspects of the industry chain, including materials, equipment, design, and manufacturing, manufacturing is the most significant challenge. The current semiconductor industry is facing manufacturing difficulties, with research and development investment growth exceeding industry growth, high costs, and advanced technology embargoes, leading to gaps in equipment and technology. To address this, Shen Chen proposed a digital twin solution, which uses physical modeling and differential equation solving to predict device performance, optimize process recipes, and achieve precise control. Peifeng Tunan Semiconductor has been deeply involved in process simulation software for more than ten years and is now applied to leading domestic customers, promoting cutting-edge research and development.
Wang Siqi, the project leader of the Xingxin Industry-Academia-Research Project, said that Xingxin focuses on parasitic parameter extraction and provides high-precision analysis tools. By using innovative technology to compensate for the impact of blockades, it helps the evolution of domestic chips. The product is applied to design, manufacturing, and data center thermal power consumption optimization and has been recognized by leading companies and storage companies. Xingxin's EDA tools support Samsung and domestic advanced process certification, achieving high precision and high efficiency.
Du Yuhong from the Education Business Department of Jiutongfang Microelectronics mainly focuses on electromagnetic field simulation tools, partially realizing domestic substitution. The products are divided into two categories: teaching and commercial. Teaching products are bound with cases and tools, while commercial products cover passive mechanical modeling, three-dimensional electromagnetic field simulation, etc., and actively develop new fields. At the same time, we embrace the trend of domestication, upgrade the teaching cloud platform, integrate domestic tools and cases, and support the teaching of core microelectronics courses. We have cooperated with many universities in Hubei and will continue to expand the national market in the future.
Trend Four: The integrated circuit industry is highly concerned by the government, industry, and academia.
As a high-quality platform for the integration of industry, academia, and research, the competition has also attracted the attention of the government, industry, and academia.
Yang Wei, President of the China Association of Degrees and Graduate Education, Sheng Yuechun, Deputy Secretary of the Wuhan Municipal Committee and Mayor, You Zheng, President of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Academician, Ye Tianchun, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the China Integrated Circuit Innovation Alliance, Wu Hanming, Honorary Director of the Organizing Committee of the China Graduate "Core" Competition, Yang Qiubao, Director of the Cultivation Quality Office of the Degree Management and Graduate Education Department of the Ministry of Education, Zhou Qihong, Deputy Director of the Hubei Provincial Department of Education, Jiang Tiebing, Deputy Director of the Wuhan Municipal Party Committee Organization Department and Director of the Municipal Talent Work Bureau, Shen Yangdong, Party Committee Member and Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Donghu High-tech Zone, Zhang Yao, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Zhao Yu, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Association of Degrees and Graduate Education, Zhou Zucheng, Consultant of the "Core" Competition and Professor of Tsinghua University, Wang Zhihua, Executive Director of the Organizing Committee of the "Core" Competition and Professor of Tsinghua University, Gai Weixin, Director of the Special Committee of the "Core" Competition and Professor of Peking University, Guo Liang, Executive Vice President of the Tsinghua Strait Research Institute, Yu Haibo, Director of the Wuhan Research Institute of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Lei Rong, Deputy Director of the Wuhan Research Institute of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Zhou Yumei, Member of the Organizing Committee of the "Core" Competition and Researcher at the Institute of Microelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and leaders and experts from integrated circuit colleges of universities across the country, etc., personally attended the event.Yang Wei, President of the China Association for Degrees and Graduate Education, said: "The China Graduate Innovation Competition has been co-sponsored and hosted in Wuhan by China Optics Valley for two consecutive sessions. This session of the competition has seen a record number of participants, with 970 teams from 169 universities and research institutions, totaling 3,641 graduate students and teachers registered to compete. The event features high industry participation and a variety of activities. The China Integrated Circuit Innovation Alliance joined for the first time, and in addition to more than 10 enterprise tracks such as Huawei, the Optics Valley track made its debut for the first time. Renowned companies such as Yangtze Memory, High-tech, and Jiufeng Mountain Laboratory participated in setting questions and reviewing. Concurrently, top forums such as the National Integrated Circuit Dean Forum, the Integrated Circuit Industry Forum, and the EDA Industry Frontier Technology Forum were held to discuss the integration of industry and education, collaborative talent cultivation, and to help participating graduate students enhance their research perspective and broaden their academic horizons. This session of the competition reflects the characteristics of Wuhan, the height of Optics Valley, and the level of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and can be regarded as a model for cooperation between government, industry, academia, research, and application in organizing the competition."
Sheng Yuechun, Deputy Secretary of the Wuhan Municipal Committee and Mayor, extended his warm congratulations to the students who won awards today. He said: "The chip industry is a comprehensive embodiment of the country's high-end manufacturing capabilities and a strategic high ground in the global high-tech competition. The 'Core' Competition, as one of the series of thematic events for Chinese graduate students' innovative practice, is an important deployment to promote the integration of education, science and technology, and talent, and to serve the development of the national integrated circuit industry. It has built a broad stage for discovering and cultivating outstanding talents to carry out innovative practices. The seventh innovation competition has reached a new level and height, which is gratifying."
You Zheng, President of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Academician, reviewed the history and achievements of the development of the integrated circuit discipline of the university in his speech, and shared the experience of being the organizer of the two sessions of the "Core" Competition. He hopes that through this competition and a variety of concurrent activities, the competition will expand the horizons of graduate students and scholars in the field of integrated circuits and build a high-level platform for competition and exchange.
Ye Tianchun, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the China Integrated Circuit Innovation Alliance, emphasized the importance of innovation for the development of the integrated circuit industry and the key role of talent cultivation in the development of the industry. He said that graduate students are the main force in various links of integrated circuit innovation. China has talent empowerment, and it will definitely win in the global integrated circuit competition.
Wu Hanming, Honorary Director of the Organizing Committee of the China Graduate "Core" Competition, said that the increasing number of participating teams in the competition is not only an affirmation of the China Graduate "Core" Competition but also a witness to the development of domestic integrated circuits. He looks forward to the competition continuing to leverage the platform advantage, attract more experts and students to participate, and jointly promote the innovation and development of integrated circuit technology.
Yang Qiubo, Director of the Training Quality Office of the Degree Management and Graduate Education Department of the Ministry of Education, said: "The importance of integrated circuits has never been seen before, and for graduate education, the urgency of accelerating the cultivation of integrated circuit talents needed by the country has also never been seen before. In 2018, under the promotion of Professor Zhou Zucheng of Tsinghua University, the 'Core' Competition was born. It can be said that since its birth, this competition has been undertaking the strategic mission of the country and has distinct features of industry-education integration, school-enterprise collaboration, and school-local collaboration."
Zhou Qihong, Deputy Director of the Hubei Provincial Department of Education, said that with the changes in the national situation, the demand for the independent cultivation of high-level talents in our country has never been seen before. The holding of this competition will continue to enhance the communication and exchange between teachers, experts, scholars, and leading enterprises in the field of integrated circuits, and create a good atmosphere for graduate student innovation and practice. It is hoped that Hubei's graduate education will take this competition as a new starting point, further innovate the training mechanism for high-level talents in strategic emerging industries, accelerate the cultivation of high-level talents who dare to venture into the "no man's land," and enhance the support and service capabilities for key industries such as integrated circuits.
Jiang Tiebing, Deputy Director of the Wuhan Municipal Party Committee Organization Department and Director of the Municipal Talent Work Bureau, introduced the achievements of Wuhan in the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent in recent years, and said that Wuhan will continue to promote more active, effective, and open talent policies, spare no effort to provide financial support for talents in Wuhan to innovate and start businesses, build growth platforms, and provide high-quality services.
Shenyang Dong, a member of the Party Working Committee and Deputy Director of the Management Committee of the East Lake High-tech Zone, introduced the talent policy of Optics Valley in detail with the title "Competing in the Core Track, Heading for a New Future."
Yu Haibo, Director of the Wuhan Research Institute of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., said: "The 'Core' Competition provides students with a very good integration of learning, communication, and practice. I am very pleased to see that while the 'Core' Competition is being held this year, three forums including the Integrated Circuit Dean Forum, the Integrated Circuit Industry Forum, and the EDA Industry Frontier have also been held. Combining the cultivation of high-end talents, discussion of key technologies, and high-level competitions reflects the strategic vision and vitality of this competition."Conclusion
The China Graduate "Chip" Innovation Competition is part of the China Graduate Innovation Practice Series Competitions, which is a group integrated circuit design creative practice activity for graduate students from universities and research institutes across the country. The purpose of the competition is "Innovation, Selection, and Cultivation," focusing on the era's proposition of high-quality development of graduate education and implementing the major deployment of the national integrated circuit industry.
In this era where opportunities and challenges are intertwined, the China Graduate "Chip" Innovation Competition is like a dazzling star, brilliantly illuminating the long journey of innovation in the field of integrated circuits. The purpose of "Innovation, Selection, and Cultivation" is not just an empty slogan, but a strong driving force and clear direction for unwavering commitment and strenuous efforts.
Every graduate student who passionately demonstrates their talent and bravely pursues their dreams in the competition is the "Innovation Star" that the industry is eagerly looking forward to. With extraordinary wisdom and fearless courage, they shine brilliantly on the grand stage of innovation, contributing their all to the vigorous development of the national integrated circuit industry.
We firmly believe that in the near future, these "Innovation Stars" will continue to shine brightly, leading the torrent of innovation in the field of integrated circuits and powerfully promoting the continuous ascent of China's integrated circuit industry to new heights. Let us look forward with enthusiasm to the emergence of more dazzling "Innovation Stars" in the next "Chip" Competition, creating a more brilliant and glorious chapter!
The China Graduate "Chip" Competition shines on the journey of innovation
The predecessor of the China Graduate "Chip" Competition was the National Graduate Electronic Design Competition (referred to as "Graduate Electronics Competition") initiated in 1996. In 2017, the "Integrated Circuit Professional Competition" was set up from the Graduate Electronics Competition. In 2018, in order to cultivate more high-end chip talents, the Integrated Circuit Professional Competition became independent and was renamed the China Graduate "Chip" Competition. In the same year, the first "Huawei Cup" China Graduate "Chip" Competition was held.
The history of the Graduate "Chip" Competition is glorious. Since the first competition, it has attracted the participation of many outstanding universities and enterprises. With innovation and entrepreneurship as its core, the competition has continuously improved its level and influence, and has become the top event at the university level in China's semiconductor field.The First "Huawei Cup" China Graduate Student Innovation "Chip" Competition was hosted by the Academic Degrees & Graduate Education Development Center of the People's Republic of China and the China Association for Science and Technology Youth Science and Technology Center. It was organized by the Tsinghua Strait Research Institute, Xiamen University of Technology, and the Tsinghua Alumni Association Semiconductor Industry Association, and co-organized by the China Semiconductor Industry Association, the National Engineering Professional Degree Graduate Education Steering Committee, the China Electronics Society, and the Model Microelectronics College Industry-Academia Integration Development Alliance. This integrated circuit design competition began registration on May 11, 2018, and concluded the final on August 12, 2018.
The First "Huawei Cup" China Graduate Student Innovation "Chip" Competition saw a total of 254 teams registering for the competition, with approximately 426 students from 148 teams of 48 universities entering the final round.
A total of 161 awards were given out in the First "Huawei Cup" China Graduate Student Innovation "Chip" Competition, including 3 team grand prizes, 10 team first prizes, 27 team second prizes, 105 team third prizes, 14 Huawei special awards, and 2 Synopsys special awards; 11 universities were recognized with the Outstanding Organization Award, and 12 Outstanding Instructor Awards were granted.
The Second Competition
The second competition started registration on April 20, 2019, with 468 teams from 93 universities registering to participate, an increase of 84.25% compared to the first competition. The number of participating students reached 1346, with 391 instructors and 443 valid works, including 336 independent topics and 107 enterprise-assigned works.
In the end, 151 teams advanced to the final round. After written exams, computer tests, defenses, and on-site roadshows, 15 team first prizes were awarded (the top three were named "Innovation Chip Stars"), 35 team second prizes, 101 team third prizes, 9 Outstanding Organization Awards, 18 Outstanding Instructor Awards, and several Huawei Special Awards, Synopsys Technology Special Awards, ASE Special Awards, and Cadence Special Awards.The Third Edition
The third edition saw 480 teams from 86 universities register, with 1368 participating students and 545 instructors, among which 290 teams came from 28 model microelectronics colleges.
"On October 10-11, 2020, the 'Huawei Cup' third China Graduate Innovation 'Chip' Competition final was successfully held in the Lin-Gang Special Area of Shanghai. After two days of intense competition, the most anticipated 'Chip' Star awards were finally claimed by three graduate teams: 'Three Years of Chip Dream' from Xidian University of Electronic Science and Technology, 'Da Li Yuan' from University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, and 'TRIPLE-L' from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
The Fourth Edition
The fourth competition had 499 teams from 101 graduate training institutions across the country, with 1439 participating students and 427 instructors. After written exams, computer-based tests, defenses, and live presentations, 15 first-prize teams were selected (the top 3 being the 'Chip' Stars), 34 second-prize teams, 98 third-prize teams, 20 outstanding organization awards, and 18 outstanding instructor awards.
The Fifth Edition
The competition had a total of 503 teams from 96 universities across the country, with 1469 participating students and 638 instructors. After the selection process of written exams, computer-based tests, defenses, and live presentations, 15 first-prize teams were awarded (the top 3 being the 'Chip' Stars), 36 second-prize teams, 103 third-prize teams, 20 outstanding organization awards, and 20 outstanding instructor awards.
The Sixth Edition
The competition involved 142 universities, 889 teams, and 3352 teachers and students across the country, achieving full coverage of the 28 model microelectronics colleges nationwide. The final round included 171 teams from 51 universities, which consisted of computer-aided design, on-site written exams, group defenses, and final presentations. A total of 16 first-prize teams were selected, with 3 teams receiving the highest award of the 'Chip' Star of this edition. Additionally, 40 second-prize teams, 113 third-prize teams, 29 outstanding organization awards, and 24 outstanding instructor awards were determined. A total of 62 award-winning teams in this edition received special awards for enterprise-specified topics.
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