CHINA

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