{
  "id": 3896222,
  "title": "Univ. of Idaho opens Hiroshima campus with course set to foster semiconductor talent",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/univ-of-idaho-opens-hiroshima-campus-with-course-set-to-foster",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-28T04:59:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Mainichi",
    "slug": "the-mainichi",
    "url": "https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260828/p2a/00m/0na/016000c"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hiroshima -- The University of Idaho has inaugurated a new campus in Hiroshima, marking the first time a foreign university has established a location in Japan for engineering studies. The partnership aims to cultivate global semiconductor talent through a four-year program named Microchip Engineering and Security Alliance (MESA). During the initial two years, students will learn electrical engineering fundamentals at Hiroshima University's Higashihiroshima campus before transferring to the Idaho U.S. campus for the final two years.\n\nThe program's inception was spurred by the collaborative strengths of both universities in the semiconductor industry. In November 2025, the Hiroshima campus was officially recognized by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as a foreign university's Japanese campus. The inaugural class comprises 18 students, representing countries like Japan, South Korea, Nepal, the United States, and Vietnam.\n\nUniversity of Idaho College of Engineering Dean Suzanna Long expressed optimism about the students' cross-border collaboration skills. Hiroshima University President Mitsuo Ochi emphasized, \"I am confident this marks a new step in higher education exchange between Japan and the United States.\" Yoichiro Kono, director-general of the Chugoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Kota Nosaka, representative director of Micron Memory Japan, also addressed the ceremony, sharing their hopes for the program's success.\n\nHiroshima University President Mitsuo Ochi explained that the campus would not only impart technical skills but also impart lessons about the city's history. He stated that the students would learn about the atomic bombing during their time in Hiroshima, with the hope that more students would visit the city to promote peace. One student from the United States, a 19-year-old, expressed enthusiasm for experiencing Japanese culture, stating that the experience would be more enlightening than studying in the United States.",
  "summary": "HIROSHIMA -- The University of Idaho has opened a Hiroshima campus at Hiroshima University, where the two institutions will collaborate to foster glob",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}