Colleges and universities will have more autonomy in deciding academic subject structure as the Ministry of Education implements reforms of streamlining administration and delegating power to lower-level governments.

Since 1986, China has made huge efforts to set up major national subjects in accordance with the nation’s development strategies.

This work played an important role in optimizing higher education subject structure and cultivating innovative talents. But with ongoing dramatic technological development in the era of the internet, there is a need to improve the subject system.

The State Council issued a circular on Feb 15, 2014, stating that efforts should be made to cancel the approval of major national subjects.

The move has delegated more power to colleges and universities who will be able to optimize subject structure themselves in line with national strategies as well as world science and technology development.

Such changes boosted academic development as data indicated that about 400 colleges and universities independently set up 5,000 secondary subjects each year from 2015 to 2016, promoting the development of emerging subjects such as entrepreneurial management, health management, bid data science and smart technology.

The basis of the structural reform is streamlining administration and delegating power to lower-level governments, and only as such reform is further implemented can market vitality and social creativity be stimulated, Premier Li Keqiang said at the first State Council executive meeting in 2017.

In education sector, the Ministry of Education will continue streamlining administration and developing China’s higher education into world class institutions.