PERMATANG PAUH – 15 December 2025 – Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Pulau Pinang successfully hosted a high-impact Industry Lecture Series as part of the Engineering Talent for the Semiconductor Industry (ETSI) Finishing School Programme. Held at the Dewan Seminar, the half-day event was a collaborative effort between the Unit for Industry Outreach (PKE) and Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science and Technology (CREST), aimed at equipping final-year Electrical and Electronic Engineering students with specialized industry knowledge.
The programme featured two distinguished industry leaders who provided a comprehensive look at the semiconductor value chain, ranging from advanced System-on-Chip (SoC) design to backend assembly and testing operations. The first session, “SoC Design Emulation and FPGA Prototyping,” was led by Mr. Afandi Bin Wan Ismail, Principal Engineer at Oppstar Technology. Drawing from over 30 years of experience at global giants like Intel and Altera, Mr. Afandi detailed modern SoC development workflows and the vital role of hardware emulation in reducing design risks before fabrication. He emphasized that the future of efficient design lies in the multidisciplinary collaboration between hardware and software teams to balance power, performance, area, and cost.
The second lecture shifted focus to “Semiconductor Backend Operation: Assembly, Test & Ecosystem,” presented by Mr. Noorazidi Che Azib, Vice President of Inari Technology. Mr. Noorazidi provided an extensive overview of wafer dicing, packaging, and final quality assurance, explaining how these processes are critical to device reliability and global supply chains. He highlighted Malaysia’s strategic position as a global semiconductor hub and showcased how Inari is pioneering Smart Manufacturing through AI-driven yield optimization and real-time data analytics.
The Industry Lecture Series serves as a vital bridge between academic theory and real-world industrial practice. By integrating insights from both frontend and backend domains, the ETSI Finishing School Programme reinforces UiTM’s commitment to producing industry-ready graduates. This initiative further strengthens the university’s partnership with CREST and key industry players, ensuring that Malaysia’s engineering workforce remains highly skilled and competitive in the global semiconductor ecosystem.