(Yicai) Aug. 25 -- To better meet talent demand from changes in national strategies and economic and social development, Chinese universities are adjusting and optimizing their academic faculties, departments, and majors, with the most popular new major proposed for the upcoming academic year being low-altitude technology and engineering.

As of Aug. 20, 111 Chinese universities had proposed more than 630 new undergraduate majors for the next academic year, according to data compiled by My China Occupational Skills. The top 10 most frequently proposed majors are low-altitude technology and engineering, digital cultural tourism, embodied artificial intelligence, urban renewal, digital economy, low-altitude economy and management, AI education, digital trade, robotics engineering, and business AI.

Low-altitude technology and engineering was added to the undergraduate major catalog in 2025 as the first exceptionally deployed major to meet urgent needs. Two other related majors -- low-altitude economy and management and low-altitude safety management -- were included in the catalog this year.

From technology and engineering to operations and management and safety and security, universities are accelerating their major layouts around the low-altitude economy industrial chain.

Moreover, a series of low-altitude economy-focused colleges have been established since last year. For instance, Shenyang Aerospace University unveiled the country’s first low-altitude economy college in April last year. Anhui University announced the establishment of a low-altitude economy and engineering college, a robotics college, and a brain-computer interface research institute in April this year.

Thirty-six percent of the over 630 new majors proposed for this year are related to intelligence, smart technologies, data, and digitalization, covering multiple fields, such as industry, economics and management, agriculture, and education, according to MyCOS data.

This shows that university majors are no longer solely focusing on digital technology but also on further exploring the deep integration of digital technologies in specific industries and sectors.

For example, Communication University of China recently announced it plans to apply with the Ministry of Education to add four new undergraduate majors: game science and technology, e-sports, branding, and business AI.

AI has changed the ecology of many industries and sectors and spread to various academic disciplines, Ding Changfa, associate professor at the economics department of Xiamen University, told Yicai. For example, AI can be applied in fields such as statistics, investment, trade, finance, and business, he noted, adding that combining AI with economics and management disciplines will cultivate more interdisciplinary talent.

Electronic information categories, such as AI, integrated circuit design, and integrated systems, and computer categories, including cyberspace security and intelligent science and technology, remain the majors with the highest proposed numbers. From chips and AI to robotics, biomanufacturing, and new energy, the layout of proposed new engineering majors in universities is becoming further targeted at key technologies and specific industries.

Editor: Futura Costaglione