Chinese universities are suspending admissions for some language and translation programs while launching new technology-focused fields, reports Rest of World. These include programs in AI, robotics, and other digital technologies.
According to a MyCOS survey of 70 universities, admissions have been suspended for 525 undergraduate programs. The authors noted that the statistics are incomplete as some universities did not disclose their data.
Marketing leads the list of fields with the most suspensions, affecting 16 universities. This is followed by public administration (11), logistics (10), and Internet of Things engineering (9). In language programs, cuts have impacted eight Japanese language programs, five German programs, and five translation studies programs.
According to Tencent News, during the 14th Five-Year Plan, universities opened 10,200 new undergraduate admission points while canceling or suspending 12,200. The publication describes this as a shift from expansion to optimization of program structures.
In April, the Chinese Ministry of Education allowed nine universities to enroll students in the "embodied intelligence" field—referring to physical AI technologies such as autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots. In total, the ministry approved 38 new specialties for the upcoming academic year.
As highlighted by Tencent News, the adjustments have affected not only humanities disciplines. Among engineering fields, 32 computer programs, 23 mechanical programs, and 22 in electronics and information technology have been suspended.
The suspension of admissions does not indicate a permanent cancellation. According to Tencent News, universities may temporarily halt admissions due to curriculum reforms, resource redistribution, or consolidated enrollment, and later reintroduce the program in an updated—digital, "intelligent," or interdisciplinary—format.
In April, the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China and four other agencies presented the AI+ Education plan, which aims to integrate AI at all stages of education—from primary school to lifelong professional training.