HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM - Mentor Graphics has signed an agreement with Applied Micro Circuits and the Vietnam National University of Ho Chi Minh City to collaborate on educational courses for two new electronic design laboratories.

As part of the agreement, Mentor's Higher Education Program (HEP) will donate over $20 million worth of EDA software to enable students of VNU-HCM to graduate with knowledge of the latest ASIC design and verification and PCB design and analysis.

“Our collaboration with Mentor Graphics and AMCC will help us expand our academic programs and facilities to maximize students’ potential and prepare them fully for the needs of a global economy in the 21st century,” said Prof. Dr. Nguyen Duc Nghia, VP of Vietnam National University.

The collaboration “has been an important factor for our decision to install our new design center in Vietnam,” said Vu Nguyen, President of AMCC Vietnam. “Vietnam attracted us with its commitment to building a skilled and educated workforce from which companies like ours can recruit and cultivate world-class engineers.”

Ian Burgess, development manager for Mentor’s HEP program said that through the collaboration with AMCC and Vietnam National University, “We are able to ensure that Vietnam produces graduates proficient in these state-of-the-art methodologies ready to contribute to the growing electronics market," said Ian Burgess, development manager for Mentor’s Higher Education Program.