Our first step

The fundamental problem lies in our educational approach where engineering disciplines are taught in isolation, perpetuating a mindset that mechanical engineers can tackle their challenges independently of those working with semiconductors. The reality is that contemporary problems demand collaborative solutions across disciplines like mechanics, electronics, materials, and software. Our undergraduate programs currently lack this holistic learning perspective, neglecting to foster a collaborative culture where students learn to work together to tackle complex challenges. We must promptly address this gap to ensure our engineering graduates are well-equipped for the demands of the modern world.

Let's discuss why chip designers need to work in multidisciplinary teams with, say, mechanical engineers. Chip design involves more than just working with wafers. The secret sauce also includes packaging, mounting, and thermodynamics (you need to get the heat away very, very efficiently with today's technologies). TSMC was not built by engineers siloed in their discipline, and we will not be able to do it that way either. We need a generation of engineers who are prepared to work in modern engineering teams.

Engineers need to understand, really understand, what it it takes to manufacture something. Otherwise, we specify things that are too expensive to actually manufacture and we cannot compete.

We know how to create this workforce.

In December 2016, we co-developed a training program to prepare recent engineering graduates for work as members of fast-paced multidisciplinary engineering teams. Participants were government employees from a broad range of schools – elite private institutions like MIT, large state schools, and small rural schools (see our list of alumni from over 60 schools). We found that across the board the engineers had been well prepared by the schools to handle academic engineering work with a solid framework of fundamentals.

But they were not ready to work in modern engineering environments to actually design products practical for manufacture.

Summary: What’s in this for you?

What can you do as part of this program? What will you be able to do then that you can’t do now? You’ll be part of world class engineering teams who know how to get things done. Bringing a spark of an idea from models through prototypes to manufactured products is hard. It takes holistic approach that isn’t usually taught. You’re going to get it here.