A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GLOBAL MODELS AND POLICY FRAMEWORK PROPOSAL FOR SEMICONDUCTOR HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN VIETNAM

Abstract

This study conducts a comparative analysis of semiconductor human resource development models in four leading countries—the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and China—to propose a policy framework for Vietnam. Employing a Comparative Institutional Analysis (CIA) approach, the research examines the institutional arrangements, funding mechanisms, and industry-academia linkages that have enabled these nations to build competitive semiconductor workforces. The findings reveal three critical policy gaps in Vietnam's current approach: institutional rigidity preventing competitive compensation for industry-experienced faculty, inadequate funding for essential Electronic Design Automation (EDA) infrastructure, and weak quadruple helix linkages among government, universities, research institutions, and industry. Based on these findings, the study proposes a hybrid policy framework combining Taiwan's institutional flexibility with the United States' shared infrastructure model, operationalized through the establishment of the Institute for Semiconductors and Advanced Materials (ISAM) at Vietnam National University, Hanoi. The proposed framework addresses the urgent need to develop 50,000 semiconductor engineers by 2030 as Vietnam positions itself within global semiconductor supply chain restructuring.