Chinese universities have begun to optimize curricula on a large scale, amid the rise of artificial intelligence. According to the MyCOS review, in 70 universities, enrollment of 525 bachelor programs is suspended. Most of the abbreviations concerned marketing, logistics and language areas, including Japanese and translation studies, but dozens of engineering and IT specialties were also included in the optimization.

Freed resources are redirected to technological development. In April, the Chinese Ministry of Education approved 38 new specialties, among which a particular focus was on the direction of "embodied intelligence," dedicated to the development of autonomous machines and humanoid robots. Students in this program have already begun to be accepted at nine leading universities in the country.

The suspension of recruitment does not mean a definitive closure of disciplines: many programs are reformed to integrate digital and interdisciplinary approaches. This structural transformation is part of the government’s "AI+ Education" plan, which aims to introduce artificial-intelligence technologies at all stages of learning - from primary school to advanced training programs.