Samsung Electronics has pledged to donate a total of US$5 million to the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) to bolster the semiconductor ecosystem and talent acquisition.
On Sept. 20, Samsung Austin Semiconductor announced its “5-Year Talent Development Plan,” a component of which includes an annual donations of US$1 million to the Grainger College of Engineering aimed at supporting interested UIUC engineering students and increasing employment opportunities.
This donation will be utilized for UIUC’s semiconductor minor program starting next fall, establishing a multi-year partnership and providing scholarships, mentoring, academic support, and diverse curriculum participation opportunities for 50 students.
The investment announcement aims to proactively develop a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) talent pipeline. The demand for engineers is anticipated to rise sharply in the coming years, especially as Samsung Electronics is constructing a foundry factory valued at US$17 billion in Taylor, Texas.