TAR UMT partners Arm, rolls out Integrated Circuit Design programme

Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) is taking a step forward towards helping the nation achieve its National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS) following a recently inked partnership with Arm Academic Access, and the launch of the varsity’s Micro Credential Programme (MCP) in Integrated Circuit Design (IC).

The collaboration with Arm, which will grant students access to the company’s architecture and development software tools, and the newly introduced programme, marks more than a milestone for the university – it represents Malaysia’s resolve to move from users of technology to creators of it, said TAR UMT board of governors chairman Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy.

“Our students will not just learn, they will lead,” he said in his speech at the signing ceremony between TAR UMT and Arm at the varsity’s Kuala Lumpur campus on May 15.

Developed in close collaboration with the industry, he said that the MCP provides a flexible, modular curriculum focused on System-on-Chip (SoC) design and artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

Describing the initiative as timely and strategic, he said the move aligns with the NSS.

Chan, who is also Alumni Council chairman, said the tie-up with Arm will position the university and its industry collaborators to assist the nation become a leader in semiconductor innovation, design and talent development.

“Such collaborations are essential in developing graduates who are not only job ready but also innovation ready,” he added.

Last May, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim launched the NSS aimed at making Malaysia an indispensable link in the global semiconductor supply chain.

Currently, the nation is the sixth largest exporter of semiconductors globally and is aiming to move further up the value chain through a targeted focus on front-end activities.

In his opening remarks, Arm Limited vice-president of North America Sales C.K Tseng said the Arm Academic Access programme includes more than 170 global institutions and active research projects.

He added that the programme, which has over 1,000 academic users, is also supporting numerous academic collaboration.

Tseng, who is also Arm Asean and Taiwan president, said that the collaboration with TAR UMT marks a commitment in providing and equipping students here with necessary tools to hone their skills in the specialised sector.

“The agreement between TAR UMT and Arm is not just about enabling students and educators – it is also about empowering the next generation in the critical semiconductor sector,” he said, adding that the collaboration is also in line with Malaysia’s industrial transformation agenda.

He said the goal was to see Malaysia produce 10,000 semiconductor sector professionals who will be involved in value-added up steam activities as opposed to mere back-end activities.

During the event, memorandum of understandings (MOUs) were also signed between TAR UMT and IC design industry collaborators, namely, Spring Semiconductor Sdn Bhd, Starfive Technology International Sdn Bhd and Efinix Technology Sdn Bhd.