RIT welcomes UPWARDS partners from U.S. and Japanese universities
Faculty plus industry partners from Micron and TEL continue to advance semiconductor curricula development and workforce initiatives
Carlos Ortiz/RIT
RIT hosted two groups of students and faculty from Japanese universities in 2024 for two weeks of classes in RIT’s microelectronic engineering laboratories and tours of regional businesses and semiconductor fabrication sites such as Global Foundries in Albany.
The sixth meeting of UPWARDS—the U.S.-Japan University Partnership for Workforce Advancement and Research & Development in Semiconductors for the Future—is taking place at RIT on April 22 and 23.
Since its inception in 2023, representatives from six U.S. and five Japanese universities meet regularly to participate in a series of updates about current curriculum projects, research developments, and collaborations among partners in advancing the next generation workforce for the semiconductor industry.
More than 80 participants are expected, ranging from faculty-researchers to company engineers and administrative leaders, for the planning workshops as well as campus tours.
“We’re looking forward to hosting the network partners at RIT and continuing conversations about our ongoing projects,” said Doreen Edwards, dean of RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering. “Each of our universities is committed to teaching and training students for the semiconductor industry that fuels the global economy. The relations being built now between faculty and students in the U.S. and Japan will have a long-lasting impact on collaborations in the future.”
In 2023, RIT was one of six U.S. universities named to an international partnership to improve competitiveness in computer chip design, development, and manufacturing. Micron Corp., TEL, and the National Science Foundation announced the partnership, called UPWARDS, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding during the 2023 G7 Summit in Japan.
Funding and investments for the UPWARDS network were extensive and aimed at deepening ties between the two countries and industry. Participating universities are Hiroshima University, Kyushu University, Nagoya University, Tohoku University, and Institute of Science Tokyo, from Japan; and RIT, Boise State University, Purdue University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Washington, and Virginia Tech, from the U.S
UPWARDS for the Future is focused on several key initiatives: Curriculum Design and Implementation; Women in Semiconductors; Experiential Learning; Semiconductor and Memory-Centric Research (non-IP); and Student and Faculty Exchange. In addition to these areas, Micron has built an extensive archive of engineering-course modules that can be used across the network and provides exchange opportunities for both faculty and students.
“UPWARDS is built on the idea that no single institution can meet this moment alone. It takes universities, industry, and global partners working together in a coordinated way,” said Janine Rush-Byers, director, Strategic University Partnerships, Micron Technology. “RIT exemplifies that spirit of collaboration—bringing together education, hands-on experience, and industry alignment in a way that strengthens the entire ecosystem. That’s what makes it such a fitting host for this convening.”
International companies Micron and TEL are integral to the partnership. In 2025, Micron broke ground on its newest fabrication facility in Central New York. It will be one of several new high tech manufacturing facilities in the U.S., with Idaho and Virginia among the states where companies have made major investments in not only facilities but support to regional and national universities to increase the pipeline of skilled workers.
