Semiconductor training programme launched

A contract signing between the Pakistan Software Export Board and NED University of Engineering & Technology has made NED the Lead University for the South Region under the Semiconductor Education & Research Cluster, according to a statement from the IT and Telecommunication ministry issued on Saturday. Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja attended the ceremony. This deal finalises all institutional arrangements for SERC under the National Semiconductor Human Resource Development Programme, known as NSHRDP and also called INSPIRE.

In the programme's first year, three regional clusters have been put in place for semiconductor education and research. NUST covers the North Region, while ESUPAK-UET Lahore serves the Central Region. The present SERC batch will educate 270 learners spread over the three regions. This forms part of a national goal to build more than 7,200 semiconductor professionals by 2030.

Khawaja described the signing as a milestone on the road to a competitive chip ecosystem in Pakistan. She stressed that the initiative is about laying groundwork for Pakistan to earn a place in worldwide chip supply networks, not just producing graduates. Separately, she took part in the Fintech Roundtable 2026 at Governor House in Karachi, where talks covered digital financial services and policy priorities. Sindh Governor Syed Muhammad Nehal Hashmi said the agreement reaffirmed the government's commitment to a knowledge-based economy.