Launch Conference for Pilot Program of the RISC-V Graduate Elective Course Was Successfully Held

The event brought together over 40 experts and scholars to engage in in-depth discussions on RISC-V course material development and industry-education integration for talent cultivation. The attendees come from eight leading Chinese universities, including Fudan University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Tongji University, Shanghai University of Science and Technology, Shanghai University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, University of Electronic Science and Technology, and Shandong University, as well as eight enterprises and scientific research institutions, including VeriSilicon, Nuclei, StarFive, SOPHGO, Zhihe Computing, Timesintelli, Xpeedic, and the Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The conference also received guidance from representatives of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization and Pudong New Area Science and Technology and Economic Commission.

The pilot program of the RISC-V graduate elective course marks the first step in the "Open Processor Industry-Education Integration Pilot Program". The program aims to accelerate talents cultivation by compiling course materials for the graduate-level elective course "Introduction to RISC-V: From Design to Application". Featuring a balanced theory-practice approach, the course offers industry-forward content with practical, cross-disciplinary applications.

Launch Conference Review

Dr. Wayne Dai, Chairman of the SOPIC, opened the conference by addressing the event background. He discussed China's RISC-V industry talent demands and the trend of talent cultivation through industry-education integration. Dr. Dai also expressed his hope that through this two-day workshop, universities and enterprises could jointly develop the courseware for "Introduction to RISC-V: From Design to Application" so that more graduate students can take RISC-V courses and participate in corporate practicums to complete their graduation projects. This initiative aimed to cultivate application-oriented, interdisciplinary high-level engineering technical and engineering management professionals.

Professor Tao Xie, Secretary-General of the Innovation Center, shared insights on RISC-V industry development, talent cultivation, and courseware development. He emphasized that the Innovation Center will serve as a bridge between enterprises and universities, uniting industrial and academic forces to jointly develop RISC-V curricula, thereby laying the foundation for cultivating RISC-V talents in China.

Mr. Zhenbo Hu, Founder of Nuclei Technology, shared his original aspirations and insights gained from writing and publishing the book Step-by-Step Guide to RISC-V CPU Design, as well as Nuclei’s entrepreneurial journey. His speech resonated deeply with attendees, igniting enthusiasm for collaborative textbook development, talent cultivation, and industry advancement. Industry experts from VeriSilicon, Nuclei, Zhihe Computing, StarFive, SOPHGO, Timesintelli, Xpeedic, and the Institute of Software at the Chinese Academy of Sciences then shared real-world application cases. They unanimously pledged to contribute resources to the development of RISC-V course materials and hands-on training programs.

After two days of intensive discussions and collaborative planning, the participants came up with a preliminary framework of "Introduction to RISC-V: From Design to Application". The curriculum consists of four comprehensive modules and is designed to tear down traditional barriers between hardware and software education, cultivating well-rounded RISC-V professionals with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The Innovation Center will further collaborate with universities and industry partners to develop and refine the course materials, with plans to promote the curriculum nationwide and launch the elective course in universities by 2025.

ABOUT SOPIC

Established in September 2024 in Zhangjiang, Pudong, Shanghai, the Shanghai Open Processor Industry Innovation Center (SOPIC) is headquartered on the 15th floor of Building 1, Chuangxin Tiandi, No. 52 Jichuang Road. As a non-profit organization, it was co-founded by leading domestic semiconductor design companies including VeriSilicon, Nuclei Technology, and DAMO Academy (Shanghai).

SOPIC serves as an industrial nexus bringing together RISC-V ecosystem stakeholders, including chip designers, IP vendors, system integrators, software developers, OEMs, and top-tier research institutions, to co-develop critical generic technology platforms. By fostering open hardware architecture to accelerate open-source software ecosystems, the center drives the industrialization and commercial deployment of RISC-V technologies.

Complementing its technical mission, SOPIC partners with China's leading universities through three integrated channels: co-developing RISC-V-specific curricula, establishing joint research laboratories, and creating applied training centers. This tripartite approach systematically cultivates professionals with cross-functional RISC-V expertise, ensuring a sustainable talent pipeline to power the ecosystem's evolution.