Chinese universities are scaling back humanities programs in favor of AI and robotics.
China's higher education system is undergoing a radical transformation. Amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence and digital technologies, the country's leading universities are massively suspending enrollment in traditional humanities and language majors, reorienting toward engineering and technological fields.
According to an analysis of 70 educational institutions, enrollment has been temporarily closed for 525 undergraduate programs. Actual figures may be higher, as some universities have not disclosed their statistics. The highest number of suspensions was recorded in marketing—16 universities stopped enrollment in this field. This is followed by public administration (11 programs), logistics (10), and Internet of Things engineering (9). Among language disciplines, Japanese (8 programs), German (5), and translation studies (5) were cut.
Reform figures: 12,200 closed enrollment points
During China's 14th Five-Year Plan period, universities opened 10,200 new undergraduate enrollment points but simultaneously canceled or suspended 12,200. This is not merely a reduction but a deep optimization of the educational program structure. In April, China's Ministry of Education approved 38 new majors for the next academic year, including the field of "embodied intelligence"—the country's term for physical AI technologies such as autonomous machines and humanoid robots. Nine universities have already received permission to enroll students in this discipline.
It is important to emphasize that the adjustment has not only affected the humanities. Among engineering fields, 32 computer programs, 23 mechanical programs, and 22 electronics and information technology programs were suspended. This indicates that the reform is systemic in nature, rather than a simple replacement of "humanities" with "tech" fields.
Temporary pause or permanent closure?
Suspending enrollment does not mean the permanent elimination of a major. According to available data, universities may temporarily halt admissions due to curriculum reforms, resource reallocation, or a shift toward broader enrollment categories. Subsequently, the program returns in an updated—digital, "intelligent," or interdisciplinary—format. This has already happened with several disciplines that were reworked to meet AI+ Education standards.
Recall that earlier, China's Ministry of Education, together with four other agencies, launched a large-scale AI+ Education plan. It envisions integrating artificial intelligence at all stages of learning—from primary school to lifelong professional training. The current university reform is merely the first stage of this global strategy.
Expert opinion: China demonstrates a unique ability to rapidly restructure its education system to meet market demands. For the crypto industry and blockchain sector, this means that in the next 3–5 years, we will see a sharp increase in the number of Chinese specialists with deep expertise in AI, robotics, and related technologies. This could strengthen China's technological leadership in AI-first solutions, including decentralized systems and next-generation smart contracts.