UPWARDS Summer Program at Kyushu University brings US–Japan students together for semiconductor research

From Tuesday, July 29 to Wednesday, August 6, 2025, the Graduate School of Information Science and Electrical Engineering at Kyushu University hosted the UPWARDS* Summer Program, welcoming ten students from five U.S. universities: the University of Washington, Virginia Tech, Boise State University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Rochester Institute of Technology.

This program was part of UPWARDS for the Future, a Japan–U.S. university partnership initiative. While Kyushu University has previously sent students to the United States through UPWARDS, this marked the first time the university welcomed students from the U.S. to its campus.

In addition to engaging in hands-on research activities in their assigned laboratories, the participating students visited companies and attended special lectures, gaining valuable insights into Japan’s cutting-edge semiconductor technologies. The program also fostered active interaction among students and provided Kyushu University students with a meaningful opportunity to broaden their international perspectives.

*University Partnership for Workforce Advancement and Research & Development in Semiconductors