https://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0611/c90000-20326141.html

As China’s economy shifts toward high-tech manufacturing and services, new courses are part and parcel of its latest push to ensure the future workforce is equipped with the skills needed to support sustained growth and global competitiveness in an increasingly technology-driven world.

The Ministry of Education has announced the addition of 29 new undergraduate majors across the country’s universities, many of them aligned with its strategic priorities in emerging sectors including artificial intelligence, carbon neutrality and low-altitude economy.

One of the new majors is carbon neutrality science and engineering, with graduates likely to support the country’s ambitious climate goals of fulfilling its pledge to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

More than 500 universities now offer AI-related majors or have launched dedicated schools related to the field. Tsinghua University and Renmin University of China included AI into their 2025 enrollment expansion plans. China’s education authorities have also approved 23 vocational undergraduate institutions, with programs focused technical workforce training for emerging industries, with practical training required to account for 50 percent of total class hours.

China wants vocational undergraduate enrollment to reach at least 10 percent of all higher vocational education admissions by 2025.