China Scraps 12,200 University Programmes Amid Graduate Unemployment Crisis
The Chinese government is undergoing a massive overhaul of its higher education system amidst high unemployment rates among young graduates. Over the last five years, universities in the country have abolished or ceased admissions for 1er2,200 undergraduate programmes, while introducing approximately 10,200 new study programmes more oriented towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology.
According to data from the Chinese Ministry of Education cited by Xinhua, this policy was implemented between 2021 and 2025. The changes encompass more than 30% of all study programmes in universities nationwide.
The Chinese government has determined that majors that no longer generate employment opportunities need to be evaluated; consequently, the most significant cuts have occurred in arts, humanities, foreign languages, and management. Conversely, new programmes are dominated by fields such as AI, robotics, and future technologies.
This restructuring is being carried out amidst significant pressure in the labour market. The youth unemployment rate in China remains above 16%, while approximately 12.7 million students are scheduled to graduate this summer, an increase of about 4% compared to last year.
Through these curriculum changes, Beijing hopes that university graduates will possess skills more closely aligned with the needs of future industries, thereby helping to alleviate the employment crisis that has persisted since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Arts to Languages Majors Being Abandoned
Arts and humanities programmes have been the most affected, as they are deemed to produce too many graduates relative to labour market needs. Furthermore, the advancement of AI has begun to replace certain roles within the creative sector.
One example can be seen at the Shanghai University of Science and Technology, which halted new admissions for its product design programme this year. An alumnus noted that job prospects in the field are becoming increasingly bleak, as tasks such as modelling and rendering can now be performed using AI technology.
Similar changes are occurring at prestigious institutions such as the Communication University of China in Beijing. The university has merged its cinematography programme into a broader film and television production programme. According to its alumni, this adjustment responds to the evolution of the digital content industry, including live streaming and short-form video.
In contrast, many universities are opening departments directly linked to China’s economic development agenda. At least nine universities have launched programmes in ‘embodied intelligence’—technology that integrates AI with robots or physical devices to enable direct interaction with the environment.
Demand for labour in the AI sector continues to rise. The recruitment platform Zhilian Zhaopin recorded an 81% surge in vacancies for AI Product Manager positions compared to last year, while the Maimai platform noted an increase of up to 369% for similar roles.
In addition to restructuring university majors, the Chinese government aims to train one million young people this year in fields such as AI, advanced manufacturing, the low-altitude economy, and new energy vehicles.
Not Necessarily a Solution
Nevertheless, several experts argue that changing majors alone may not resolve the unemployment issue. Chu Zhaohui, a senior researcher at the National Institute of Education Sciences, stated that many of the programmes currently being abolished were only established a few years ago and have not had sufficient time to develop.
He believes that universities should grant students greater flexibility to choose courses according to their interests and build their own competencies, rather than continuously replacing majors to follow labour market trends.
Similar views are being adopted by some parents in China. One such parent, Vincent Zhao, a media production company owner in Beijing, chose to direct his daughter towards statistics and data governance, as it is considered to have broader prospects than overly narrow specialisations.
For many families in China, the old concept that a single major would lead to a single permanent job until retirement is now considered no longer relevant.