PRINCESS SUMAYA UNIVERSITY FOR TECHNOLOGY RECEIVES CHARLES BABBAGE GRANT FROM SYNOPSYS
Sacramento Bee
May 30 2012
CA
First in MENA Region to Establish New Full- and Semi-custom IC Design
Laboratories
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 30, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ — Synopsys, Inc.
(Nasdaq: SNPS), a world leader in software and IP used in the design,
verification and manufacture of electronic components and systems,
today announced that Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT)
in Amman, Jordan is the first university in the Middle East and
North Africa (MENA) region to receive the Charles Babbage Grant from
Synopsys. Through the grant, PSUT receives licenses for Synopsys’
comprehensive, industry-leading electronic design automation (EDA)
software, along with curriculum support and professor training. The
grant also provides new computer hardware, printers and educational
equipment, enabling PSUT to create two new laboratories for full-
and semi-custom integrated circuit (IC) design for 20 students.
Lack of access to commercial-grade design tools for advanced research
and microelectronic design is a common issue facing universities
today. Synopsys helps solve this challenge through initiatives like
the Charles Babbage Grant and its Worldwide University Program, which
provide select universities with design software for modern electronic
design flows and leading commercial IC fabrication processes. Previous
grant recipients outside of United States include the Chinese Academy
of Sciences, University of Southampton, Indian Institute of Technology
Kharagpur, Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology (MIET), Yerevan
State University and the State Engineering University of Armenia.
“PSUT is very grateful for this grant,” said Professor Issa Batarseh,
PSUT president. “It will provide our engineering students with
access to world-leading software and tools and allow us to enhance
our curricula.”
“We always welcome industry collaboration and support,” Dr. Wejdan
Abu Elhaija, the Dean of King Abdullah II School for Electrical
Engineering, added. “We’re pleased to strengthen our relationship
with Synopsys.”
“Supporting programs that enable semiconductor design through academia
continues to be an important priority for Synopsys,” said Anwar Awad,
vice president of engineering of the IP/Solutions group at Synopsys.
“Working with PSUT, we have been able to create an educational program
that will cultivate advanced IC design skills in Jordan and prepare
graduates to establish local industry.” Awad formally opened the lab
in a ceremony attended by PSUT students and faculty on May 28.
Synopsys and the Department of Electronics Engineering at the
King Abdullah II School of Electrical Engineering at PSUT began
collaborating in 2010 by establishing a microelectronics education
program through a VLSI course integrated into the Electronics
Engineering curriculum in IC design. In addition to EDA software
and computer resources, Synopsys provides PSUT with support,
advisors, faculty training and facilitates student and faculty
exchanges. In 2011, Jordanian students participated in internships
and joined Student Working Groups at the Synopsys Armenia Educational
Department and R&D center. The students also successfully competed
in the International Microelectronics Olympiad of Armenia, an annual
competition that recognizes and inspires young talented engineers
involved in microelectronics. PSUT and Synopsys are continuing to
strengthen their cooperation in research and education. Again this
year, PSUT students will intern at Synopsys Armenia and participate
in the Seventh International Microelectronics Olympiad of Armenia.
About the Charles Babbage Grant The Charles Babbage Grant provides
select universities worldwide with state-of-the-art EDA tools,
training, support and technology. It enables institutions of higher
education to enhance their expertise in microelectronics circuits
and system design. Use of the Synopsys tools on modern, powerful
computers from the grant helps universities to better prepare their
graduates for the future by providing hands-on experience with
current industry practices, modern design techniques and actual
design tools and computer hardware. This enhances the students’
understanding of how learning applies to the real world of IC
design. The grant is named after British mathematician and inventor
Charles Babbage, who designed and built mechanical computing
machines on principles that anticipated the modern electronic
computers of today over 150 years ago. For more information
about the Synopsys Worldwide University Program, visit us at
About Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT) Founded in
1991, Princess Sumaya University for Technology is a not-for-profit,
top-ranked private university offering bachelors and masters
degrees in business, IT and engineering. Its location within the
El-Hassan Science City and the Royal Scientific Society has granted
the university a special status within the scientific matrix of
Al-Jubeiha, Amman, which includes the Ministry of Higher Education &
Scientific Research, the Higher Council for Science and Technology
and the Royal Geographic Center. For more information, please visit
the PSUT website at
About Synopsys
Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS) is a world leader in electronic
design automation (EDA), supplying the global electronics market
with the software, intellectual property (IP) and services used
in semiconductor design, verification and manufacturing. Synopsys’
comprehensive, integrated portfolio of implementation, verification,
IP, manufacturing and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) solutions
helps address the key challenges designers and manufacturers
face today, such as power and yield management, system-to-silicon
verification and time-to-results. These technology-leading solutions
help give Synopsys customers a competitive edge in bringing the best
products to market quickly while reducing costs and schedule risk.
Synopsys is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and has
approximately 70 offices located throughout North America,
Europe, Japan, Asia and India. Visit Synopsys online at
Editorial Contacts:
Monica Marmie Synopsys, Inc.
650-584-2890 [email protected]
From: Baghdasarian