Beijing reforms universities, focusing entirely on science and technology
The aim is to serve national strategies and train talent for the labour market. Humanities courses are being cut back whilst STEM subjects are being strengthened. The case of Sichuan University: over the last seven years, it has abolished 39 three-year degree courses. But online, doubts and criticism regarding the value of the reform – described as a “superficial adjustment” – are multiplying.
Milan (AsiaNews) - Relaunched in September 2025, the process of reforming the Chinese university system is proceeding at a rapid pace. The aim is to strengthen the capacity of academic institutions to serve national strategies, to train talent capable of being more competitive in the labour market, and to adapt to the changes brought about by new technologies and the needs of industry.
To meet these needs, in recent months a further impetus has been given to the work of adapting and optimising higher education provision, which, in practical terms, has resulted in a reduction in undergraduate courses in the humanities and an increase in those in STEM subjects (an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
According to statistics from the MyCOS Research Institute, between 2020 and 2024, the five three-year degree programmes with the highest number of student places cut were: Management and Information Systems (160), Public Administration (138), Computer Science and Information Technology (123), Marketing (104) and Product Design (93). Meanwhile, four of the most sought-after three-year degree programmes – namely Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, Smart Manufacturing Engineering and Big Data Management and Applications – have seen the introduction of over 200 new specialisations. In the first case, as many as 406 programmes were added over five years.
Meanwhile, since last year, several prestigious universities – best described as ‘double first-class’ – have announced the creation of new faculties, focusing on cutting-edge technologies and emerging sectors of which the country has an urgent need, such as artificial intelligence, future technologies, aerospace technology, quantum technology, AI+ and information dissemination.
To give an idea of the changes underway, it suffices to mention a few examples, such as that of Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, which last year suspended enrolment for as many as eight three-year degree programmes: Urban Management, Asset Valuation, Insurance, Credit Management, Logistics Management, National Economic Management, Japanese Language and Chinese Language for International Teaching, and discontinued those in Public Administration and Digital and Multimedia Art.
Meanwhile, Hubei Second Normal University announced last July the abolition of degree programmes in Computer Science, Logistics Engineering, Public Administration and Automotive Service Engineering. According to the update to Jilin University’s three-year degree programmes, published in January this year, 19 degree programmes have been eliminated, six of which are in the arts.
Li Na, Vice-Chancellor of Shandong Normal University, explained that since 2017 the university has suspended enrolment on 25 three-year degree programmes, including Human Resource Management and Radio and Television Studies, whilst adding 10 deemed to be of greater utility, such as Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security.
Perhaps the most striking case is that of Sichuan University, which has abolished 39 three-year degree programmes over the last seven years.
The accelerated pace of university system reform comes at a time when the critical issues facing the Chinese academic world are particularly under the spotlight of public opinion. Just a few months ago, a satirical magazine with the rather suggestive title ‘S.H.I.T.’ appeared on the Chinese web, created with the aim of ridiculing the cumbersome mechanisms for evaluating national scientific output and the excessive pressure to which young Chinese researchers are subjected.
More recently, an anonymous article published on the WeChat microblogging platform, which quickly went viral, sparked a heated debate on the level of innovation and the practical applicability of academic research in China.
The controversy was triggered by the unexpected victory of the Chinese motorcycle brand ZXMOTO at the World Superbike Championship (WSBK), held in Portugal at the end of March. What surprised the public was not so much the fact that, for the first time, a Chinese-made motorbike had triumphed in a major international competition, defeating industry giants such as Yamaha and Honda, but that the winner was a company founded by someone with a background like Zhang Xue’s. Born in rural Hunan, with no formal engineering training or secondary school qualification, Zhang developed his skills working in motorcycle repair workshops, defying conventional paths to success.
As the author of the article points out, academic institutions excel at developing theoretical discoveries, but often fail to translate these ideas into marketable technologies.
The priority given to publications, limited budgets, deadlines and the fear of failure – which can jeopardise academic careers – discourage risk-taking and experimentation, both of which are essential for the creation of cutting-edge prototypes.
Bridging the gap between academic research and practical innovation, which is necessary for China to compete globally, therefore remains increasingly difficult.
Despite the limitations of the Chinese university system, it is not certain that the measures currently being implemented are the best solution to address them. Indeed, some online publications have recently raised doubts about the value of the reform, particularly given the speed with which it has been implemented. In particular, they have questioned what changes have actually taken place within the teaching staff and in university curricula, suggesting that what we are witnessing is in fact a ‘superficial adjustment’.
Contrary to what one might think, in most cases the reorganisation of degree programmes has had no impact on the teaching staff, as those in charge of the discontinued programmes have been reassigned to other roles, effectively carrying out a sort of ‘restructuring of existing resources’. This means that lecturers in the humanities may be forced to teach courses in science and technology, with negative consequences for the quality of STEM teaching.
Furthermore, universities have often merely renamed old programmes, making few changes to the teaching staff or the curriculum. For example, a degree course in “Civil Engineering” may have been abolished and replaced with a new one in “Smart Construction”. To quote a famous Chinese saying, it is “the same medicine, but with a different name” (huan tang bu huan yao), meaning “the form changes but not the substance”.
The risk, therefore, is that the current reform, rather than improving the university system, will create further complications.
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