As China seeks to build on its “engineer dividend” – the advantage created by a vast pool of engineers built up over decades – it is directing more talent towards artificial intelligence and other hi-tech fields central to its competition with the US.
The push comes as fresh graduates face mounting pressure to find jobs, underscoring the challenge of aligning China’s expanding higher education system with the needs of its changing economy.
But Beijing has a narrow window to act, an education expert said, with the number of students entering the country’s higher education system expected to peak in the coming years before entering a longer-term decline.
Last month, the Ministry of Education announced plans to expand undergraduate enrolment at the country’s top universities by 76,000 places between 2027 and 2030.