In line with the national strategies of revitalizing the nation through science and education, strengthening the nation with talent, and driving development through innovation, the Party Committee of the South China Normal University (SCNU) Faculty of Engineering has been consistently organizing the "New Engineering Forum." This initiative aims to cultivate high-quality, interdisciplinary "New Engineering" talents with international competitiveness.

   On July 7, 2025, the SCNU Faculty of Engineering's School of Electronic Science and Engineering (School of Microelectronics) successfully held a New Engineering Forum lecture, part of the Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Activity Week, at Room B114, Nanhai Campus, Foshan. The forum, themed "Guangdong Chip Convergence: Shaping a New Development Landscape for Guangdong's Integrated Circuit Industry," featured Mr. Zhi Yue, Deputy Chief Engineer, Ph.D., and Senior Engineer from the China Electronic Product Reliability and Environmental Testing Research Institute (CEPREI) of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), as the keynote speaker. The event was hosted by Teacher Gao Wei and attended by 90 undergraduate and postgraduate students from the Faculty of Engineering.

    Mr. Zhi Yue, Vice President of the Guangdong Integrated Circuit Association, also holds several key positions, including Deputy Director of the Expert Committee of the Large Aircraft Electronic Components Industry Alliance, Member of the Beidou Satellite Navigation Expert Committee, Member of the National Green Manufacturing Standardization Technical Committee (SAC/TC337), and Member of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Conformity Assessment System Domestic Operation Development Strategy Working Group. Previously, he served as Deputy General Manager of the CEPREI Certification Center, Director of the CEPREI Components Testing Center, and Dean of the CEPREI Components and Materials Research Institute, bringing extensive industry experience and profound professional expertise to his roles.

    In his presentation, Mr. Zhi Yue focused on the development path of Guangdong's integrated circuit industry, systematically outlining key milestones and the evolutionary trajectory of its "chip journey." He shared numerous behind-the-scenes stories and origins of the industry's development based on his personal experiences. Mr. Zhi provided an in-depth analysis of the core characteristics of the integrated circuit industry—being technology-intensive, capital-intensive, and highly collaborative—and compared the development status of the global and Chinese integrated circuit industries, offering a detailed examination of breakthroughs and challenges in the high-end chip sector. He particularly emphasized Guangdong's specific measures and phased achievements in building itself into the "Third Pole of China's Integrated Circuit Industry," highlighting future efforts to consolidate the Guangdong Strong Chip Initiative and significantly enhance the province's integrated circuit manufacturing capabilities. He pointed out that Guangdong, leveraging its industrial chain advantages, policy support, and innovative ecosystem, has achieved remarkable successes in the development of its integrated circuit industry. His report provided a clear perspective on understanding regional industrial upgrading and the implementation of the national chip strategy.

    During the interactive session, students showed great enthusiasm and engagement. They posed questions on topics of personal interest, including Guangdong's layout in optoelectronic devices and the development trends of MEMS technology. Mr. Zhi Yue patiently addressed each question, offering valuable advice based on his experience and insights. Additionally, he briefly introduced the organizational structure and development direction of CEPREI, sincerely welcoming students to visit and exchange ideas at the institute and encouraging postgraduate students to apply for positions such as device testing. He noted that with technological advancements, the demand for talent in the integrated circuit industry is growing rapidly and urged students to strive to become part of Guangdong's integrated circuit field in the future.

    Mr. Zhi Yue's insightful report not only deepened students' understanding of Guangdong's integrated circuit industry, particularly the Strong Chip Initiative, but also provided valuable guidance and inspiration for related research and practice. The SCNU Faculty of Engineering's School of Electronic Science and Engineering (School of Microelectronics) remains committed to advancing discipline construction and talent cultivation in the field of integrated circuits, striving to nurture more outstanding senior interdisciplinary talents and contribute to industrial progress.