Artificial intelligence (AI) education in China is flourishing. Starting from September this year, Shanghai-based Fudan University will launch at least 100 AI courses during the upcoming academic year, with no less than 60 courses being offered in the fall semester of this year alone. The innovate initiative aligns with the educational authorities' plan to enhance digital literacy nationwide, as well as with the country's goals to cultivate AI talents that will drive innovation and growth across emerging industries. “We are not establishing an artificial intelligence institute, but mobilizing all students for the construction of a scientific intelligence innovation ecosystem," Chen Yan, Executive Vice Dean of the Graduate School of Fudan University, said. Starting from the freshmen, the study plans for each degree program to clearly specify the requirements for cultivating AI literacy and capabilities. According to its official website, Fudan University has 15,303 undergraduate and 36,690 graduate students.
The scheme is to allow students to actively adapt to the widespread future use of scientific intelligence. It is difficult to predict how many industries will be related to AI in the future, but mastering AI will lead students to better growth and success, according to a Fudan University statement published online. A number of universities, along with multiple government departments including the Ministry of Education, have implemented an action plan to enhance digital literacy and skills. This collaborative approach is designed to establish a more extensive system for developing digital literacy and skills, promoting digital competency in schools, and advancing the digital economy.
The research and development of AI is not only related to digital literacy, but also to major issues of human survival and development, Xiao Yanghua, Computer Science Professor from Fudan University and Director of Shanghai Key Laboratory of Data Science, told the Global Times when explaining the importance of integrating AI into the university curriculum. AI doesn't just bring tools, but major opportunities to reshape traditional humanities, thus the integration of AI into various other curriculums is essential to redefine our education in this new era, Xiao added. Zhu Rongsheng, an expert from Tsinghua University's Center for International Security and Strategy, told the Global Times that not only universities have been making efforts to integrate AI into their daily curriculums, but also schools. Nurturing AI talent firstly is about equipping them with the most advanced technology and allowing them to be adapt to the fast-changing AI era when they walk out of campus. More importantly, is planting seeds for technological breakthroughs that will benefit the country's AI industrial development in the long term.
Earlier in February, Nanjing University launched a general AI curriculum aimed at fostering AI literacy among all new students. It is structured around a compulsory AI core course, supplemented by a series of AI literacy courses and interdisciplinary courses that deeply integrate AI with various academic disciplines. Beijing University of Post and Telecommunications (BUPT) also announced recently that all undergraduate freshmen entering this year will receive general education training in AI, with mandatory courses such as introduction to AI, introduction to computing, and design thinking, the Global Times reports.
