BEIJING: Over 12,000 undergraduate degree programs have been cancelled in Chinese universities from 2021 to 2025 in an attempt to adapt the education sector to the changing trends of artificial intelligence (AI) and the labour market in today’s world.
As international press reports, some 10,200 new academic subjects were launched during that time, which is one of the biggest educational reform processes in the history of China.
This transformation, officials noted, was motivated mostly by two factors – unemployment rates among university graduates and rapid development of artificial intelligence in the business world.
The reforms have covered over 30 percent of China’s universities, where outdated academic subjects are being substituted by those that meet the requirements of the current economy.
Among those areas, arts, foreign languages, management and humanities programs have experienced the biggest drops in popularity among university students, who are encouraged to choose the fields that correspond to industrial and technological requirements.
Some of these disciplines were called “not relevant” anymore because they no longer matched the requirements of the modern economy.
However, universities of China will continue developing technologies and artificial intelligence studies.
Reports indicate that advanced AI studies have now been integrated into curricula at multiple universities, with students being trained to apply emerging technologies in real-world scenarios. Education planners say the shift reflects national priorities to strengthen China’s competitiveness in the global technology race.
The reforms come amid growing pressure on China’s job market, where youth unemployment has remained a concern. Millions of recent graduates have reportedly struggled to secure employment in their chosen fields, particularly in disciplines with limited market demand.
Analysts say the large-scale academic restructuring underscores the Chinese government’s increasing emphasis on linking education policy directly with economic planning and long-term industrial development.
