RPI partners with Japanese University

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — In a silent room, only pen strokes and camera shutters were barely audible. "We also of course welcome our visitors from Hokkaido University," said RPI President Martin Schmidt. On Tuesday, RPI on signed a partnership agreement with Japan’s Hokkaido University to advance CHIPS and semiconductor research.

“There is a tremendous global demand for highly skilled engineers in chips and semiconductors and we need partnerships with strong other universities,” said RPI Dean of Engineering Shekhar Garde. “So having a connection with Hokkaido University is really fantastic for RPI and RPI engineers” he continued.

“Chips and semiconductors are critical to modern life to our economic prosperity and national security," Schmidt added.

Critical is an understatement according to Doctor Robert Hull, RPI’s Vice President of Research. “It controls everything in your car your vacuum cleaner has a more powerful computer than a company but have had 40 or 50 years ago,” said Hull.

“In everything from medicine to cell phones, to televisions to banking are based on the ability to create incredibly high speed, incredibly reliable microelectronics" Hull added.

The college anticipates a foreign exchange student program could start as soon as this fall.