China has closed over 12,000 university majors due to AI development

China is carrying out a large-scale reform of higher education, actively cutting traditional programs and placing its bets on specialties related to artificial intelligence and high technology. Between 2021 and 2025, approximately 12,200 bachelor's degree programs were closed or suspended at the country's universities. At the same time, about 10,200 new directions were opened. In total, the changes affected more than 30% of all educational programs.

The South China Morning Post reported this, citing data from China's Ministry of Education.

Which specialties are disappearing

The greatest cuts affected humanities disciplines, the arts, foreign languages, and management. These fields are increasingly recognized as oversaturated and less in demand in the labor market. With the rapid development of AI and automation, many traditional professions are losing relevance, forcing universities to revise their curricula.

Reasons for the reform

One of the key factors was high youth unemployment, which in China exceeds 16%. The government is striving to better adapt the education system to the real needs of an economy focused on technological leadership.

In place of the closed programs, new specialties are emerging related to artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital transformation. In particular, a number of universities have already launched programs in "embodied intelligence" — a field that deals with integrating AI into physical devices, industrial systems, and robotics.

A strategic shift

The reform reflects China's long-term state strategy to transform the country into a global leader in AI. Instead of training a large number of generalists, universities are increasingly focusing on training personnel for high-tech industries, where demand for qualified workers is growing especially rapidly.

In brief

Between 2021 and 2025, Chinese universities closed or suspended over 12,000 educational programs, mostly in the humanities and management fields. At the same time, more than 10,000 new directions focused on AI and high technology were opened. The reform is linked to the need to adapt higher education to the changing labor market and the country's strategy of technological leadership. The changes affected more than 30% of all bachelor's degree programs.