There is a trend, but it depends on the bottom line

Since artificial intelligence was designated as a new AD hoc major in 2018, many colleges and universities have begun to lay out. Of the 1,831 newly filed majors in 2018, more than a quarter are related to artificial intelligence. Compared with last year, the opening momentum of artificial intelligence majors this year is significantly stronger, and it and robotics engineering, intelligent science and technology, data science and big data technology and other majors account for nearly 40% of the total number of new filings in 2019.

“Majors that meet national strategic needs and are encouraged by the Ministry of Education to apply will have a higher passing rate.” Su Haijia, director of the Academic Affairs Office of Beijing University of Chemical Technology, told the China Science Journal that the reason why the number of institutions with artificial intelligence majors is large is closely related to the major strategic needs of the country and the development of the industry.

“On the whole, it’s not that any field is hot in society, so colleges and universities will open related majors.” Su Haijia said that the establishment of new majors should consider the needs of the country and society, and also depend on whether the school itself has enough strength to support.

Liu Xiwei also mentioned that comprehensive universities have more types of majors and a solid foundation for opening artificial intelligence majors, especially double first-class universities, which have more advantages in training top-notch talents.

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“For the same major, the different positioning of colleges and universities determines the different preferences of talent training. Whether it’s research-oriented or application-oriented, it all depends on the structure of knowledge you develop.” Su Haijia said.

There have been ups and downs. Take history as a guide

Combing through the list of new professional records and approvals in previous years, it can be found that professional Settings have experienced waves of changes.

Around 2013, the Internet of Things, new energy majors are popular, in 2014, a number of colleges and universities opened new translation, engineering cost and other majors, in 2015, digital media art has become “hot”, by 2017, robot engineering, data science and big data technology has begun to enter the scene…

“Judging from the newly added majors announced by the Ministry of Education recently, some need to be approved and others only need to be filed, which makes the specialty setting of colleges and universities more flexible and closer to the market demand.” Liu Xiwei said that talent training, industry development, market demand and policy adjustment four aspects can not be synchronized with the same frequency, the consequences of professional overheating in the past few years may appear in a few years later, “students have not graduated, the entrance of the professional setting has lagged behind the development of science and technology and industry, which is a very realistic problem.”

“The profession will not remain unchanged”, Su Haijia said, “it is a very normal phenomenon for universities to open or eliminate majors”, “the early development of the industry, the demand for a certain aspect of the talent is relatively large, but as the industry becomes more mature, the demand for talent tends to balance, or the demand for talent changes, professional adjustment will be made.”