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“It’s about pooling our resources together and becoming a
collaborative team to help raise up the quality of the workforce,
and also the quality of impact that we have on the future of
microchips and semiconductor manufacturing,” Ken Christensen,
provost and senior vice president for academic affairs of Illinois
Tech, told The Center Square.
Twenty universities and community colleges in Illinois, Ohio,
Indiana and Michigan comprise the Midwest Semiconductor Network.
More educational institutions are expected to join.
“We share a deep reserve of talent and innovation. This network is
poised to make great contributions to the industry,” Christensen
said. “Illinois Tech emphasizes what is called 'practice-based
learning.'”
Students don’t just learn the concepts and the theory in the
classroom, he said.
“We create experiences in the academic program that allow students
to apply what they have learned,” he said.
When students complete their degrees, they have the foundational
skills and they know how to use them in the real world, Christensen
said.
“Being part of this regional network gives us another avenue of
bringing practice-oriented activities into our academic curricula,”
he said.
Christensen also said community colleges are important partners in
the Midwest Semiconductor Network.
“The strength that the collaboration brings is that we can
transition learners from community colleges into the four-year
universities to gain enhanced expertise in areas that are important
for the semiconductor industry,” Christensen said.
The value chain of semiconductor manufacturing starts well before
the actual process of producing the semiconductors. Illinois Tech
recently partnered with DMG Mori, a global manufacturer of metal
cutting machines and CNC-controlled turning centers and milling
machines, to establish a national center for advanced manufacturing.
“Our focus will be on advanced manufacturing needs and developments
that then feed into the capabilities of doing semiconductor
fabrication,” Christianson said.
A complete list of the Midwest Semiconductor Network Partners can be
found at the Ohio State University’s website.
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