South Korea has a burgeoning semiconductor industry, representing about one-fifth of the country’s exports by value. In this Viewpoint, three professors at Seoul National University discuss how their departments work in close partnership with the semiconductor industry, sharing the training of graduates and engineers and collaborating on cutting-edge projects.
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The authors thank Sung Keun Shim for contribution to the preparation of the manuscript.
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J.-H.L. is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University and a former Minister of Science, Technology and ICT for South Korea. He is renowned for his work on nanoscale transistors and memory devices, including future NAND architectures and 3D integration for advanced semiconductor technologies.
J.-J.K. is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University. His current research focus includes AI processor design, AI model compression, workload-optimized semiconductor memories and low-power VLSI design.
C.S.H. is an SNU distinguished professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University. His research focuses on semiconductor devices, materials and processes for conventional memories, including high-k dielectrics, ferroelectrics and oxide semiconductors. His recent research also explores new device and system architectures for neuromorphic computing.
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Lee, JH., Kim, JJ. & Hwang, C.S. Semiconductor-related research and education at Seoul National University. Nat Rev Electr Eng 2, 660–664 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44287-025-00194-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44287-025-00194-2