Nanjing University has announced plans to expand its undergraduate student intake by 300 places in 2026. This move aims to better serve major national strategic needs, proactively respond to the new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation, independently cultivate top-tier innovative talent in cutting-edge and interdisciplinary fields, and support the development of high-level technological self-reliance and new quality productive forces.
Compared to 2021, the university's undergraduate enrollment expansion by 2026 will exceed 1,000 additional students. The focus of this enrollment increase is on frontier interdisciplinary disciplines urgently needed by the nation, adhering to the university's founding pursuit of "providing the best undergraduate education in China" and continuously providing strong momentum and solid support for the expansion of high-quality undergraduate education.
Expanding Talent Cultivation in Emerging Engineering to Meet National Needs
In response to national strategic demands and regional industrial layouts, Nanjing University is continuously strengthening its position as a primary base for emerging engineering disciplines. Focusing on strategic emerging industries and future industries, the university has established 10 schools, 10 research institutes, and 4 research centers at its Suzhou campus. This comprehensive effort is accelerating the construction of a distinctive Nanjing University system for cultivating innovative talent in new engineering fields.
In 2026, the university's "Future Technology College," a special reform zone for cultivating talent in emerging engineering, will commence undergraduate enrollment. The college will be led by academicians and feature a deeply integrated industry-university-research mentor team. It will base its practical education model on real industrial scenarios, aiming to cultivate outstanding engineering talent capable of solving complex engineering problems and leading industrial technological innovation.
Addressing the Era's Challenges by Expanding the Interdisciplinary Innovation Cultivation Matrix
Positioning itself at the forefront of the times and closely aligning with national strategy, Nanjing University is enhancing the integration of general and specialized education while fostering interdisciplinary innovation. In 2026, the university will advance the development of emerging engineering disciplines with a focus on strategic areas such as AI and low-altitude economy. It will also integrate digital intelligence technologies like artificial intelligence and big data into the cultivation of talent in new liberal arts, expanding training pathways that combine humanities with humanities and humanities with engineering.
The university will launch a new series of undergraduate interdisciplinary innovation cultivation programs, comprehensively enhancing students' innovative practical abilities and interdisciplinary perspectives. This initiative aims to empower students' personalized and diverse development, cultivating top-tier composite innovative talent capable of leading the future.
Leading the Trend by Deepening AI-Empowered Talent Cultivation
Facing the technological frontier, Nanjing University is deeply exploring new models of personalized education driven by artificial intelligence, comprehensively reshaping undergraduate education for the AI era. It is implementing a "New Triple-Three System" reform adapted to national needs, contemporary characteristics, and student development.
In 2018, the university established its School of Artificial Intelligence, creating China's first complete undergraduate education and training system for AI. In 2024, Nanjing University became a national pioneer by launching a "1+X+Y" three-tiered AI general education core curriculum system. This initiative comprehensively promotes the empowerment of education and teaching through AI, enhances the AI literacy of both teachers and students, and aims to realize "AI learning accessible to everyone, everywhere, and at all times."
With the main goal of enhancing students' ability to autonomously integrate and apply AI, and building upon the AI general education core curriculum system, Nanjing University is innovatively constructing a four-stage progressive smart practice education model: "General Education Foundation – Multi-dimensional Empowerment – Interdisciplinary Advancement – Frontier Exploration." By establishing interdisciplinary practical teaching platforms, the university seeks to expand the boundaries of practical teaching, break down disciplinary barriers, and create a new paradigm for "AI + practical teaching." Through AI empowerment, the brand of Nanjing University is set to shine even brighter.