Big data, AI majors, new favor in Chinese Universities

World
Europe

Data science and big data technology remains the hottest major that Chinese universities rush to set up since last year, trailed by artificial intelligence (AI), according to Beijing Youth Daily.

Nationwide universities have applied to establish a total of 2,542 new majors in 2018, said a list released by the Ministry of Education (MOE), among which over 220 universities have applied to set up the major of data science and big data technology, far more than any other one. The trend can be indicated by last year’s condition – 250 universities were approved to set up this major.

Data science and big data technology remains the hottest major that Chinese universities rush to set up in 2018. /VCG Photo

The MOE emphasized in this year’s new major approval and filing work that universities should actively serve the national strategy and regional economic and social development needs, and set up majors concerning rural revitalization, healthy China, AI, network security, and obscure foreign languages.

At the end of last year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a three-year action plan to accelerate the next-generation AI development.

Under such background, majors specialized in robot and intelligence science have also been the hot ones. Over 100 universities this year applied for robot engineering and intelligence science and technology.

While applying for the new majors, a total of 426 majors are planned to be revoked by universities, with the categories more diverse.

(With inputs from China Daily)