The Ministry of Education, on Tuesday, introduced 38 new undergraduate majors that will be available for recruitment through the 2026 national college entrance exam, or gaokao, expanding opportunities for students to pursue cutting-edge fields.

The newly added majors align with national strategies and emerging industries. They include energy science and engineering and deep-earth science and engineering for strategic needs; transportation and energy integration engineering and agricultural robotics for upgrading traditional industries; biotechnology manufacturing and brain-computer science and technology for future industries; digital culture and tourism and commercial artificial intelligence for the service sector; and digital trade and digital finance for the intelligent economy.

The ministry also added embodied intelligence as a new major, with nine top universities — including Harbin Institute of Technology and Beihang University — authorized to offer it. The program aims to integrate next-generation artificial intelligence with the real economy.

For the first time, the "interdisciplinary studies" category includes 15 programs, including four new majors such as embodied intelligence and brain-computer science and technology. The full catalog now covers 883 majors.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Chinese universities added 10,200 undergraduate program slots while cutting or suspending 12,200. The annual adjustment rate exceeded 10 percent for the first time this year.

Shen Yi, former vice-president of Harbin Institute of Technology and dean of the School of Aerospace Innovation, said the university is launching a new undergraduate major in embodied intelligence to meet national strategies, technological progress and industrial demand.

"The major moves artificial intelligence from the digital world to the physical world," Shen said. "Embodied intelligence is not just about humanoid robots — it is about enabling machines to perceive, interact with, decide and act in real-world environments."

He said the program will train students to work in areas such as smart manufacturing, healthcare, aerospace and energy.

"Graduates will combine embodied intelligence with specific fields, like embodied intelligence plus aerospace, or plus energy, becoming versatile talent that society urgently needs," he said.

Shen added that the major emphasizes project-based and active learning.

"Students will learn by doing, not just by taking notes," he said. The first batch of about 50 to 60 students is expected to enroll in September.

"Like automation or computer science decades ago, embodied intelligence will become a foundational tool across all sectors," Shen said. "Those who master it will drive progress in their fields."

According to Shen, embodied intelligence is inherently interdisciplinary.

"It integrates perception, decision-making and physical action. Core courses include systems and control, intelligent sensing and processing, and the integration of AI with physical systems," he said.

He also noted that the training model goes beyond traditional classroom teaching.

"We give students real projects and goals. They learn by identifying weaknesses and seeking knowledge actively, not by passive memorization. That is how we prepare them to design and deploy embodied intelligent systems in the real world," he said.

Ming Dong, vice-president of Tianjin University, said the newly approved undergraduate major in brain-computer science and technology aligns with the university's first-level interdisciplinary doctoral program in the field, enabling it to establish a comprehensive bachelor's-master's-doctoral training system for brain-computer interface talent.

Ming said brain-computer interface technology, prioritized as a future industry under the national 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), holds significant application potential.

In response to national strategic needs and industry demand, Tianjin University's program aims to cultivate high-level talent capable of advancing intelligent human-computer interaction.

Under the system, students will systematically master the full technology chain of brain-computer interfaces — from devices and chips to algorithms, systems and applications — beginning in their first year. Core courses include the "brain talker" research program, along with a wide range of electives, enabling students to build a solid theoretical foundation and develop practical skills to solve complex engineering problems.

zoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn