Purdue partners with IIT Madras to create semiconductor dual-degree program

The proposed dual-degree program will be designed to ramp up skilled talent for the next generation of the semiconductor workforce. It will focus on an innovative, cooperatively developed curriculum to meet the industry’s growing needs. Undergraduate students with strong academic credentials and deep interest in working on topics related to semiconductor devices, chip fabrication, and circuits and systems will be candidates for the future master’s program.

“Purdue University is home to over 2,700 students from India, and Purdue has a long and deep strategic partnership with India and IIT Madras in particular,” said Mung Chiang, Purdue’s president-elect and executive vice president for strategic initiatives. “We recently launched the first comprehensive Semiconductor Degrees Program (SDP) with the goal of becoming the top source of skilled semiconductor talent for the U.S. We are thrilled to be partnering with IIT Madras on these dual-degree programs to rapidly contribute to the workforce needs of the large semiconductor industry in both the U.S. and India.”

On Nov. 3 at IIT Madras, officials from both institutions signed a letter of intent agreeing to the collaboration. V. Kamakoti, director of IIT Madras and professor of computer science and engineering; Nagendra Krishnapura, professor and head of the IIT Madras Department of Electrical Engineering; and Raghunathan Rengaswamy, dean of global engagement, represented IIT Madras. Representing Purdue were Mung Chiang; Dimitrios Peroulis, the Michael and Katherine Birck Head and Reilly Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Vijay Raghunathan, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of semiconductor education; and Arvind Raman, executive associate dean of Purdue’s College of Engineering.

“The India Semiconductor Mission looks at the large-scale development and deployment of microelectronics products,” said V. Kamakoti. “This joint initiative with Purdue will certainly augment our quality human resource development efforts in semiconductor electronics.” 

The partnership would also involve research collaboration in areas such as semiconductor supply-chain management, chip design, packaging, system architecture, and advanced manufacturing methods.

“The Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University and the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Madras have forged particularly strong bonds over many areas in the past,” said Dimitrios Peroulis, head of the school. “We are delighted to join forces again to address common critical needs in semiconductors and microelectronics.”

Nagendra Krishnapura said the new dual degree will offer students both knowledge and autonomy: “IIT Madras has world-class faculty in the area of semiconductors, from electronic devices to circuits and systems. This new dual-degree program in semiconductors will give students a solid foundation in these areas, while also giving them the freedom and flexibility to specialize in their chosen area of interest. We also expect the program to open new avenues for collaboration in research and teaching with Purdue University in these areas.”

Emphasizing the significance of the two institutions’ collaboration, Vijay Raghunathan of Purdue added, “The semiconductor industry worldwide is facing a tremendous shortage of talent. Purdue and IIT Madras are implementing an innovative program to address this gap by enhancing the best human and curricular resources and leveraging the complementary strengths of the faculty at the two institutions.”

Other aspects of the collaboration yet to be fully defined include exchange of faculty and research scholars and collaborative research and discovery, learning and teaching, and engagement. 

About IIT Madras

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) was established in 1959 by the Government of India as an “Institute of National Importance.” The activities of the institute in various fields of science and technology are carried out in 16 academic departments and several advanced interdisciplinary research academic centers. The institute offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs leading to BTech, MSc, MBA, MTech, MS and PhD degrees in a variety of specializations. IITM is a residential institute with more than 600 faculty and 9,500 students. Students from 18 countries are enrolled. IITM fosters an active entrepreneurial culture with strong curricular support and through the IITM Incubation Cell.

Recognized as an Institution of Eminence (IoE) in 2019, IITM has been ranked No. 1 in the Overall Category for the fourth consecutive year in India Rankings 2022 released by National Institutional Ranking Framework, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India. The institute has also been ranked No. 1 in the Engineering Institutions category in the same rankings for seven consecutive years — from 2016 to 2022. It was also declared the Top Innovative Institution in the country in Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) in 2019, 2020 and 2021. ARIIA Ranking was launched by the Innovation Cell of Ministry of Education.

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About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last five years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://stories.purdue.edu