Indian Engineering School Nabs $20MM Tech Donation

Wilsonville, OR-based hardware and software designer Mentor Graphics will donate more than $20 million in electronic design automation (EDA) tools to the Bangalore, India's RV-VLSI Design Center to help students become proficient in very large scale integration (VLSI) design and in tackling emerging challenges, such as design for manufacturability.

The donation is geared to help the school's students use standard technologies and platforms for their studies--which is key for the school, which provides industry-centric education in hopes of generating a steady stream of design professionals for the semiconductor industries.

"This strategic relationship with Mentor Graphics will enable us to train a new breed of technology specialists," said M.K. Panduranga Setty, president of Rashtreeya Shikshana Samithi Trust, the school's parent company. "Educating students and researchers on how to work most effectively with industry-leading electronic design tools will ensure industry-proficient engineers and accelerate the growth of India's already growing electronic industry."

The sizable donation is seen as a strategic collaboration by Mentor, which operates its Mentor Graphics Higher Education Program (HEP), which has provided tools and support to higher education engineering programs around the world since 1985. The program currently claims more than 1,100 member schools in 49 schools.

“Schools that incorporate leading design methodologies and tools into their academic programs provide a valuable service to both their students and the industry as a whole,” said Ian Burgess, development manager for Mentor’s HEP in a prepared statement. “Students with experience in the latest technologies have a distinct advantage in the industry. And as the market in India grows, electronics companies will have access to new productive graduates who can make a key contribution from day one.”

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David Kopf is a freelance technology writer and marketing consultant, and can be reached at [email protected].

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