Hong Kong and China are integrating art and technology into their higher education curricula, preparing future art students with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.
China's Ministry of Education announced the introduction of 29 new undergraduate majors in colleges and universities that will start welcoming freshmen this fall. Notably, at least eight of them are art-related, including disciplines such as dance therapy, intelligent imaging arts, digital drama, virtual space art, and game arts and design.
Hong Kong's universities have also integrated art and AI into their programs and projects.
In 2024, the University of Science and Technology set up the Division of Arts and Machine Creativity, offering postgraduate programs aimed at nurturing talent who can leverage technologies such as AI in the art-creation process.
Baptist University has launched various creative art-tech projects, including an unprecedented performance staged by its symphony orchestra and an AI virtual choir.
All these are seen as a strategic move to equip young people with the interdisciplinary skills needed to navigate the job market of the next decade. Experts have warned that individuals pursuing careers in the arts without sufficient technological proficiency may risk being sidelined in the future job market.
Shi Zhancheng, a professor at Inner Mongolia Arts University, said, "In the surge of AI, cross-sector talents are indispensable."
The addition of new majors has garnered widespread attention from parents and students. A Beijing-based mother, surnamed Guo, said her daughter is considering these newly introduced majors as she prepares to take the national college entrance exam next month.
According to a think tank report by EqualOcean Intelligence, China could face a talent shortage of up to four million in the AI sector by 2030 as AI technology rapidly permeates multiple industries. In response, prestigious universities like the Central Academy of Drama have incorporated digital elements into traditional disciplines.
In recent years, China has emerged as a global leader in AI technology. Data shows that over 600 million users in the country had registered for generative AI models such as Deep Seek by 2024, pushing artistic service providers to adapt their offerings to align with AI-driven scenarios.
(Xinhua and Staff reporter)
