Chip expert Chen Ye joins Zhejiang University after it overtakes Harvard

Chen Ye, a semiconductor quality-control specialist with more than 16 years of industry experience in the United States, has joined Zhejiang University as a Qiushi Distinguished Professor.

The appointment places Chen at the university’s College of Integrated Circuits in Hangzhou. He most recently served as chief scientist at Hangzhou-based Semitronix Corporation, a position he took in 2024 after returning from the United States.

Before that, Chen worked at U.S. chip companies including KLA and Anchor Semiconductor. His work focused on defect-detection and yield-analysis systems used in advanced chip manufacturing. Zhejiang University said tools developed under his leadership have been deployed in mass production at major wafer foundries including TSMC, Samsung and Intel.

Chen has longstanding ties to the university. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Information Engineering there in 2003, followed by a PhD. He began his U.S. semiconductor career at Anchor Semiconductor in 2008. The company developed hotspot-management and analysis software for foundries and integrated device manufacturers.

Zhejiang University’s announcement also comes after the institution overtook Harvard University in the 2026 Nature Index rankings. Harvard had held the top position since 2015, according to the university.