Students taking the college entrance examination this year have new choices. On March 19, the Ministry of Education announced the results of the 2023 undergraduate major record and approval for general universities and released the 2024 undergraduate major directory for general universities. Among them, 24 new undergraduate majors were added, and college enrollment can be conducted starting this year.
Which undergraduate majors have been newly added this year? Why these majors? In recent years, university disciplines and majors have been continuously adjusted and optimized. What development trends do they reflect? This year, the new-type production force was included in the government work report for the first time, and the urgent need to accelerate the development of new-type production force requires a large number of outstanding innovative talents. How will China's higher education continue to cultivate innovative talents that can serve the needs of national strategies?
New majors serve national strategies and adapt to the need for new production forces
The 24 newly added undergraduate majors will be offered in 54 universities, and new majors such as high-power semiconductor science and engineering, intelligent marine equipment, electronic information materials, biotechnology, and ecological restoration have been added to serve the national strategic demand.
Dr. Jiang Jiang, Dean of the College of Forestry and Grassland at Nanjing Forestry University:
The establishment of this major in Ecological Restoration is actually in response to the need for ecological protection and restoration. Because of the extensive protection of the Yangtze River, ecological restoration of mining areas, including wetlands, water pollution restoration, and land pollution restoration, in fact, research in this area has been ongoing, but there is no undergraduate major specifically tailored to this direction.
In cultivating and enhancing new driving forces of productivity, the demand for interdisciplinary convergence and inter-technological integration in talent cultivation has become increasingly urgent. This adjustment of undergraduate majors in general universities further strengthens cross-integration and adds new majors such as cross-engineering, health science and technology, and soft matter science and engineering.
Zhao Hongru, Director of the Office of Admissions, South China University of Technology:
"Our new Soft Matter Science and Engineering program is an interdisciplinary field that draws upon physics, chemistry, materials science, biology, and engineering. It's an emerging discipline that's been rapidly developing in recent years. The courses are taught by a team of both Chinese and international faculty, and they're all delivered in English. We also have a comprehensive academic mentorship system and a coordinated program that allows students to earn both an undergraduate and a graduate degree."
In the latest move to facilitate the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional Chinese culture, the new major of Classical Chinese Studies has been established. To meet the needs of the Healthy China strategy and the goal of building a strong sporting nation, majors such as Sports Rehabilitation and Football have also been added.
The 24 newly added undergraduate majors have undergone thorough research and assessment, and the universities approved to offer these majors have met all relevant requirements.
This year's adjustment in the distribution of majors is the largest in history.
To enhance the alignment between university education and the needs of socio-economic development, the Ministry of Education regularly reviews and adjusts the addition, deletion, and modification of majors. This year is no exception, with a record number of changes involving 3,389 major placements. Of these, 1,673 new placements have been added, while 1,670 have been removed, resulting in a relatively balanced distribution.
In terms of disciplines, engineering has the largest number of majors at 1,322, accounting for 39%, which is consistent with the status of engineering as the largest discipline. Geographically, the adjustments affect 1,802 majors in universities in central and western China, representing over half of the total.
University adjustments to majors do not affect graduation certificates or degrees.
The purpose of optimizing and adjusting disciplines and majors is to guide universities to establish programs that meet urgent needs while phasing out majors with low employment rates or that do not meet societal demand. Universities must follow strict procedures and exercise caution when discontinuing a major. However, will this affect current students?
Zhou Tianhua, Director of the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education: When universities decide to phase out a major based on regional socio-economic development needs, they generally suspend admissions for several years. Once all current students in that major have graduated, the major is officially discontinued, ensuring a smooth and orderly transition. This process falls within the scope of university autonomy. It should be emphasized that even when a university discontinues a major, it does not mean that the major will be removed from the list of recognized majors. In particular, the graduation certificates and degrees of students who have already graduated will not be affected in any way.
Universities Canceling Programs Does Not Mean They Are No Longer Offered
A Ministry of Education official explained to reporters that when a university cancels a program, it means the university no longer finds it appropriate given its own circumstances and regional needs. It does not mean that other universities will also stop offering that program.
Adjusting Subject Majors Is Essential for National Development
The establishment, adjustment, and optimization of subject majors are fundamental tasks for universities and are adjusted annually. Last year, for example, 21 new undergraduate programs were added to general universities. Some are closely related to cutting-edge technology advancements, such as Qinghua University's new Earth System Science program, South China University of Technology's new Biomaterials program, and Southeast University's new Future Robotics and Electric Transportation Engineering programs. Others are closely related to societal needs, such as Autism Education and Accessibility Management; still, others are connected to urban and rural development, such as Rural Governance and National Park Construction and Management.
Last year, the Ministry of Education and four other departments issued the "Optimization Reform Plan for Subject Major Establishment Adjustments in General Higher Education," proposing that by 2025, approximately 20% of university subject majors will be adjusted. New subject majors that adapt to new technologies, industries, business models, and modes will be established, while subject majors that are not suitable for economic and social development will be eliminated.
New Majors Target New Technologies and Align with National Projects
In recent years, universities have continuously adjusted and optimized their subject majors. What development trends does this reflect?
Chu Zhaohui, research fellow at the China National Institute for Educational Research: The newly adjusted majors primarily target the development of new technologies and align with major national projects. Furthermore, some universities have identified new directions during their exploration while also possessing the corresponding faculty and teaching resources. In recent years, universities have increased their efforts in adjusting their majors, directly linking them to economic and social development. Majors that meet domestic needs are receiving increased attention. At the same time, university major adjustments also need to keep pace with corporate innovation.
China's Higher Education's Ability to Serve the Nation's Needs Has Continuously Improved
Evidently, serving national strategic needs and focusing on the frontiers of science and key technology areas are important directions for major adjustments. In recent years, China's higher education system's ability to serve the nation's needs has steadily improved.
According to the Ministry of Education's data, universities have received more than 60% of the nation's top three science and technology awards. Universities undertake more than 60% of China's basic research and 80% of its National Natural Science Foundation projects. Universities have provided key technologies to critical areas such as high-speed rail, nuclear power, biological breeding, vaccine development, and national defense military equipment and participated in the research and development of national assets like supercomputers, the Beidou satellite navigation system, and the Shenzhou spacecraft series.
Cultivating Innovative Talent: Universities Must Collaborate More Closely with Businesses
This year, "new-quality production forces" were mentioned for the first time in the Government Work Report. Rapidly developing new-quality production forces urgently requires a large number of outstanding and innovative talents. In the future, how can China's higher education system continue to cultivate innovative talent that meets the nation's strategic needs?
Chu Zhaohui: Looking long-term, in order to cultivate innovative talent, universities must collaborate more closely with enterprises and delve more deeply into the market. The market's front lines are the direction of innovation. From this perspective, universities must focus on the market's new developments, and their program offerings must meet societal needs by providing different levels of education. Universities should also undergo internal systems reforms, aiming for the frontiers of knowledge through standardized credit systems. Higher education should allow the natural talents of innovative individuals to be fully realized, enabling higher education to better serve the nation's strategic needs.
