BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Education has highlighted significant changes in the country's higher education landscape in response to the evolving demands of the economy and society.

During a press conference in Beijing on Thursday, the ministry revealed that over the past 12 years, 21,000 new undergraduate programs have been launched nationwide, while 12,000 programs deemed unsuitable for social and economic growth have been removed.

In 2024 alone, 1,673 new programs in fields that are of national strategic importance were established, while 1,670 programs were discontinued.

Wu Yan, vice minister of education, emphasized that these adjustments represent a remarkable shift in academic structures across China.

Looking ahead, Wu stated that future changes will focus on aligning educational offerings with national strategic needs, supporting regional development, and promoting the comprehensive development of students.

Currently, China has 1,308 universities offering courses across 816 majors, resulting in a total of 62,000 undergraduate programs nationwide.