Circuits evening panel discussion 1: Is university circuit design research and education keeping up with industry needs?

As traditional circuit design reaches a higher level of maturity, the role of educational institutions is changing. For new graduate students entering the field, system-level research that caters to novel emerging applications provides an attractive alternative to traditional circuit-focused topics for PhD dissertations. In response to this paradigm shift, some institutions have opted to slow down faculty hiring in traditional circuit design areas in favor of emerging technologies and applications including 3D IC, MEMS, bio-technology, wearable electronics and internet of things. Is this trend detrimental to the industry as it is still very much in need of constant flow of fresh circuits talent? A panel of experts from industry and academia will tackle this question along with other concerns such as: Is it necessary for students to carry out their circuit research in advanced technologies or should they focus on just fundamentals? Are professors training students to design ICs for better Figure of Merits or to be creative designers?