AI now most favoured major at universities

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become the most popular new major at Chinese universities for the second year in a row amid the country’s drive to build a strong AI talent pool. The subject’s popularity is far above that of any other new major, writes Zou Shuo for China Daily.

A list issued by the Ministry of Education on Monday 1 March said universities across the country applied to establish 2,046 new majors last year, with 130 universities receiving approval to establish four-year undergraduate AI-related majors. In 2019, 180 universities set up AI majors, making it the No 1 new major in that year, too.

Many prestigious universities – including Tsinghua University in Beijing, Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and Central South University in Changsha, Hunan province – are offering the new major. Other popular majors include intelligent manufacturing and engineering, offered by 84 universities as a major, and data science and big data technology, at 62 universities.
Full report on the China Daily site