Under AI Wave, Communication University of China Axes 16 Undergraduate Majors, Including Translation and Photography

A sharp pivot toward AI-era training

Communication University of China (中国传媒大学, CUC), one of the country’s top media and communications schools, is eliminating 16 undergraduate majors and tracks, including translation and photography, as it retools for what leadership calls a “human–machine division of labor” era. The change was disclosed by Party Secretary Liao Xiangzhong (廖祥忠) in a segment aired by CCTV News (央视新闻), as reported by IT之家 (ITHome). The message is blunt: classrooms must be “thoroughly restructured,” with teachers focusing on core knowledge, bottlenecks, and real-world interfaces—then “leaving the rest to AI.”

What’s being dropped—and when

While the university has not published a consolidated list of all 16 cuts, ITHome noted that CUC’s website already shows plans to cancel seven undergraduate majors in 2025, including International Economics and Trade and Sociology. Taken together with Liao’s remarks, the outlet expects the broader set of 16 majors and directions to be dropped starting with the 2026 intake. Liao also referenced the emergence of “Seedance 2.0,” reportedly a generative AI tool that left him “shocked,” underscoring how rapidly creative and language tasks are being automated.

Why this matters in China’s AI push

The move highlights mounting pressure on disciplines—such as translation and photography—seen as highly exposed to generative AI. Chinese universities have been racing to embed AI across curricula under national strategies to upgrade talent pipelines, even as U.S. export controls on advanced chips complicate China’s access to cutting-edge hardware. For Western readers, CUC is akin to a combined film school, journalism school, and communications college; a pivot here is a bellwether for how China’s content industries may retrain for AI-augmented production.

The big question

Will slashing traditional majors future‑proof graduates—or sideline foundational skills too soon? CUC’s gambit signals a bet on hybrid talent that can orchestrate AI systems rather than compete with them. Formal program lists and timelines have yet to be fully disclosed, but more Chinese campuses are likely to follow as policy incentives and market forces converge around “AI+” education.