Photo/Illutration Kumamoto Governor Ikuo Kabashima, second from right, and Kumamoto University President Hisao Ogawa, third from right, announce a joint strategy for semiconductor business in Kumamoto’s Chuo Ward on Jan. 31. (Satoko Onuki)

KUMAMOTO--Kumamoto University will “hire” graduate students studying semiconductors from fiscal 2023 in hopes of eventually supplying top-level personnel to the burgeoning local chip industry.

Kumamoto University and Kumamoto Prefecture announced the program on Feb. 3, saying it is designed to raise the school’s research level for semiconductors.

Participating students hired by the school operator will receive a salary so they do not have to worry about finding part-time jobs for living and education expenses. Instead, they can concentrate on their studies, according to the plan.

Chip producing giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) plans to expand into Kumamoto Prefecture, creating a potential windfall for the local economy.

Local governments, industry and academia have developed a joint business strategy to strengthen the prefecture’s semiconductor community. The plan was approved under the Cabinet Office’s subsidy program for local colleges and business creation.

Using a maximum 3.5 billion yen ($26.6 million) provided by the program over five years from fiscal 2023, Kumamoto University plans to employ students in its master’s course as research assistants for an hourly wage of 1,080 yen or as junior fellows for 2,000 to 3,000 yen per hour.

Their annual salaries will amount to 1.1 million yen to 1.2 million yen.

And those studying under the doctoral course will be eligible for 2 million yen annually under the framework.

More than 10 students in total are expected to receive the salaried posts each year.

It will be the first time in Japan for wages to be offered to master’s course students in the semiconductor field.

According to Kumamoto University, students in master’s programs in Taiwan, Europe and the United States often receive salaries so that they can devote themselves to their research.

Japan’s education ministry in 2020 released guidelines to improve the treatment of young academics with an eye toward heightening Japan’s international competitiveness. But master’s course students are not covered in the guidelines.

Instead, the ministry said college operators should employ doctoral students in an “appropriate fashion.”

“Many TSMC employees have master’s degrees,” said Kiyoyuki Shimizu, a vice president of Kumamoto University. “Treating master’s students properly and letting them focus on learning and research will be important because companies need them.”

A TSMC production facility is being built in Kikuyo, Kumamoto Prefecture.

Under the joint endeavor, officials from government, industry and academia will work together to create new businesses by taking advantage of the prefecture’s appeal of being home to many semiconductor-related enterprises.

Kumamoto University has announced it will set up Japan’s first undergraduate course for semiconductors in April 2024, hoping to develop individuals who can contribute to the chip industry.

The subsidy will also be used to invite personnel in the semiconductor field from Interuniversity Microelectronics Center (IMEC), a research organization in Belgium, and elsewhere.

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