BEIJING, 4th June, 2025 (WAM) -- The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) as a discipline is reshaping China's higher education landscape, with universities scrambling to adapt to national strategies and industry demands.
According to China Daily, the field of Artificial Intelligence has experienced significant growth since 2018, when the first 35 Chinese universities introduced undergraduate AI programmes. As of this year, more than 626 institutions across the country now offer AI-related degrees.
Since China's Cabinet outlined its three-step AI development plan in 2017, national and local policies have prioritised AI innovation. The Ministry of Education's 2022 decision to categorise intelligent science and technology as a first-tier interdisciplinary discipline further institutionalised AI education.
Changsha University of Science and Technology's School of Artificial Intelligence, established in January in Changsha, Hunan province, epitomises this trend. The school was created by merging automation, robotics and AI programmes to foster interdisciplinary talent.
Employment prospects remain a key driver as 90 percent of the school's AI and automation graduates secured jobs, outperforming institutional averages.
At Beijing Jiaotong University, the integration of AI into traditional engineering reflects a broader shift. Liu Yueming, vice-dean of the School of Mechanical, Electronic and Control Engineering, detailed how programmes like intelligent vehicle engineering and robotics engineering have emerged from upgrades to meet smart manufacturing and rail transit demands.