Factory Tour at SHINKO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES

On October 23, nine students (five program students, three future students who are planning to enroll in the program, and one non-student [an international exchange student]) joined four faculty members serving as guides on a visit to the Development Center operated by Shinko Electric Industries Co., Ltd., in Nagano as part of the Practical Study in Fiber Fundamentals course.

Shinko Electric Industries is a Japanese company that commands attention from semiconductor manufacturers worldwide for its state-of-the-art engineering capabilities and semiconductor package products, a market of which the company has captured a 30% share in computers globally. The tour provided a valuable opportunity for students to view manufacturing processes and other operations at a leading-edge company up close.

At the outset of the visit, students learned about the company at an information session as three employees offered an overview and explained the work environment as well as manufacturing and inspection processes and other operations in English. The fact that the average female worker has been with the company for more than 25 years speaks volumes about the high quality of the work environment.

After the information session, students toured manufacturing processes at the Development Center and participated in a question-and-answer session. A lively discussion with questions and answers ranging from specialized topics to the workplace environment and hiring information continued well past its allotted time.

The Leading Program wishes to express its gratitude to everyone at Shinko Electric Industries' Development Center for providing an opportunity for students to visit a manufacturing site in a field other than textiles and for their warm hospitality (in English, no less!).