China's 'Double First-Class' Universities to Expand Undergraduate Enrollment

China's Ministry of Education announced plans to expand undergraduate enrollment at its designated 'Double First-Class' universities by 76,000 students from 2027 to 2030. Guo Peng, director of the ministry's development planning department, stated at a press conference that this expansion will support national strategic needs while simultaneously optimizing the structure and enhancing the quality of education.

The enrollment increase will prioritize disciplines crucial for national strategy, including artificial intelligence, integrated circuits, biomedicine, and new energy. The goal is to cultivate more strategic talent and address urgent skill shortages. The ministry also intends to utilize central government investment and special long-term bonds to support the construction of new campuses for these universities and to improve essential facilities such as dormitories, dining halls, sports venues, and laboratories.

This initiative is part of China's broader "15th Five-Year Plan" for educational development, released in June. The plan also calls for a moderate expansion of the 'Double First-Class' initiative to include more universities and disciplines in strategically vital fields. Additionally, it aims to establish approximately 200 high-level applied undergraduate institutions and develop specialized programs within existing universities.

The plan further outlines support for vocational education, targeting the creation of around 100 regional industry-education integration clusters and 20 national committees. It also aims to develop roughly 60 high-level vocational colleges and 160 high-level professional clusters, with a steady increase in vocational undergraduate programs and enrollment. New research-oriented universities, focusing on science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine, are also planned, with an expansion of both undergraduate and postgraduate training in these fields.