Synopsys, Inc., a world leader in software and IP for semiconductor design and manufacturing, and State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA), today announced a new educational program in the specialty “Semiconductor Physics and Microelectronics”. The four-year Bachelor program will start in September 2009, providing an advanced education in microelectronics. Based on a proven educational model of university-industry cooperation, the program is aimed at training specialists to meet the high qualification requirements of semiconductor industry companies – a key component in the competiveness of Armenia’s High Tech economy. The addition of Master and PhD educational programs in the same area of study are anticipated after the four-year program is completed.

The goal of the Synopsys Armenia Educational Department (SAED) is to train highly qualified specialists in the field of very large scale integration (VLSI) design and electronic design automation (EDA). For a number of years, students have been eligible to participate in the SAED program after completing the first couple years of basic studies in mathematics, physics or other scientific disciplines at a university. The new program expands the SAED’s existing curriculum to offer a program that includes common educational blocks to students entering their first year of Bachelor studies and carrying through all four years. The plan is to have a comprehensive curriculum from SAED that can cover all educational programs – Bachelor, Master and PhD.

The SAED program utilizes Synopsys’ state-of-the-art, industry-leading electronic design automation software and Educational Design Kits. The current SAED SEUA curriculum has been translated from Armenian into several languages and is taught at prestigious universities in countries worldwide, including Russia, China, Europe and the United States of America, verifying the world-class education that Armenian students receive in this program.

“Extending our successful relationship with SEUA, Armenia’s flagship technical university, continues our tradition of investing in Armenia’s youth and in Armenia’s educational system,” said Rich Goldman, vice president for Corporate Marketing and Strategic Alliances at Synopsys, and chief executive officer of Synopsys Armenia CJSC. “Especially during these times of severe economic stress, we believe this kind of investment is key to the development of Armenia’s High Tech economy, and we invite other companies to join us in supporting proven university-industry collaborations. This new educational program further demonstrates the advancement of Armenia’s High Tech economy.”

“First of all it should be noted that through our collaboration with Synopsys a unique educational activity is being realized. Life has proven that this educational model serves as an example not only to Moscow Universities, but also for many universities in a number of countries in our region. An example of our success is that the educational model developed in cooperation with Synopsys is being applied to a new four-year educational project in Cybernetics department,” said SEUA Rector Professor Vostanik Marukhyan.

“By starting studies in the new specialty of Semiconductor Physics & Microelectronics, we are expanding a model of cooperation that has realized much success during the past few years. Establishing the new specialty to start from the first year of the Bachelor program will allow us to administer and control the quality of studies during the entire program. This should contribute significantly to increasing the quality of our graduates,” said Professor Vazgen Melikyan, director of SAED, honorable scientist of Republic of Armenia.

About Synopsys’ Worldwide University Programs

The Synopsys Worldwide University Programs have been providing technology, tools and resources for teaching and academic research since 1986. The Synopsys Worldwide University Programs include thousands of students and professors worldwide, with Synopsys’ tools currently installed in more than 450 educational institutions. University professors and staff have the unique responsibility of preparing the future workforce and conducting research to advance technology. The Synopsys Worldwide University Programs give easy access to Synopsys’ best-in-class EDA tools while providing training, high-quality support and curriculum development assistance. By enabling engineering students to receive hands-on experience with Synopsys’ industry-leading commercial tools, graduates are more likely to enter the workforce with the skills necessary to be quickly productive in the fast-paced world of semiconductor technology.

About SEUA

State Engineering University of Armenia (Polytechnic) an indisputable leader of technological education in Armenia, which is the legal successor of Yerevan Polytechnic Institut, was founded in 1933 having only 2 departments and 107 students. The Institute grew along with the Republic's industrialization pace and in 1980 -1985 reached its peak with about 25000 students and more than 66 majors, becoming the largest higher education institution in Armenia and one of the most advanced engineering schools in the USSR. On November 29,1991, the Yerevan Polytechnic Institute was reorganized and renamed State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA).  At present SEUA has over 10 thousand students,12 departments, foreign students division, correspondence courses, "Microelectronic circuits and systems" interdepartmental chair on the base of Synopsys. The number of the regular academic staff of the University exceeds 1000.

About Synopsys Armenia CJSC 

Synopsys established its presence in Armenia in 2004, after Armenia’s declaration of information technology (IT) as a priority business for the country. Since then, Synopsys Armenia closed joint stock company (CJSC), has become one of the largest Synopsys sites outside of the US, providing R&D and product support in EDA, design for manufacturing (DFM) and the development of semiconductor intellectual property (IP). Currently, the company employs several hundred qualified Armenian engineers, and is one of largest IT employers in Armenia. To provide Armenia with highly qualified IT specialists, the company is investing in IT education, and is engaged in a number of pioneering and successful cooperation programs with major Armenian universities such as Yerevan State University (YSU), State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA), American University of Armenia (AUA), Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) State University, and the Moscow Institute of Electronic Technologies (MIET). To supplement these activities, the company consistently promotes public interest in the industry through media, charity work and volunteer activities, and by sponsoring Presidential Awards for the best students in IT as well as contests among young specialists and students. Synopsys Armenia CJSC is located in Yerevan. Visit Synopsys Armenia online at http:/www.synopsys.am.

About Synopsys

Synopsys, Inc. is the world leader in electronic design automation (EDA), supplying the global electronics market with the software, intellectual property (IP) and services used in semiconductor design and manufacturing. Synopsys' comprehensive, integrated portfolio of implementation, verification, IP, manufacturing and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) solutions helps address the key challenges designers and manufacturers face today, such as power and yield management, software-to-silicon verification and time-to-results. These technology-leading solutions help give Synopsys customers a competitive edge in bringing the best products to market quickly while reducing costs and schedule risk. Synopsys is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and has more than 60 offices located throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Asia and India. Visit Synopsys online at http://www.synopsys.com/.

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