China Launches Groundbreaking AI Academies for Teens

BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhua) — China is making significant strides in shaping the next generation of AI pioneers with the launch of groundbreaking AI academies for teens in major cities. The Beijing Teen AI Academy (Haidian) was inaugurated in late March, marking a collaboration between Zhongguancun Academy and local education authorities. This academy is designed to create a comprehensive AI talent development pipeline that integrates basic education, higher education, and industry practice.

• The academy will tap into faculty resources from 31 top universities across China, providing students with a diverse range of expertise and opportunities for collaboration.
• As part of its programming, the new academy will guide secondary school students to participate directly in national-level research projects, allowing them to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world problems.
• The academy will also leverage the innovation ecosystem of Zhongguancun, a hub for technology and innovation, to offer students opportunities to incubate entrepreneurial ventures and develop their own AI-related projects.

This initiative follows the announcement of a similar teen AI academy in Shanghai, which will be established under a partnership between the School of Artificial Intelligence at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and the China Welfare Institute Children’s Palace. Full-scale programs of this academy are set to begin in the second half of 2025, with a focus on building foundational AI skills in young learners and piloting a new, continuous model for nurturing exceptional talent.

AI Education in Higher Education

Elite universities, including Tsinghua University, Wuhan University, and SJTU, are expanding enrollment in AI and interdisciplinary fields in response to surging demand. These moves align with national priorities to elevate the quality of undergraduate education and accelerate the development of world-class universities and academic programs.

• SJTU has long been a pioneer in AI education, receiving national approval for an AI major in 2019.
• The university has expanded its program, establishing the School of Artificial Intelligence in 2024 and launching a PhD program in intelligent science and technology.
• SJTU has also rolled out an AI minor open to all students, spanning disciplines from science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine to humanities and social sciences.

AI Empowerment in Basic Education

Parallel efforts are unfolding in basic education. SJTU launched its AI Empowerment in Basic Education initiative on Sunday, aiming to identify and cultivate top talent from an early stage.

• The university signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the education authorities of Shanghai’s Xuhui District, outlining plans to jointly promote AI education in primary and secondary schools.
• The agreement also supports early-stage talent development and the development of intelligent educational tools.
• In the country’s capital, an AI experimental class project has been running in Haidian District since 2023, introducing secondary school students to computational thinking, mathematics, programming, and AI fundamentals.

The Importance of Building an AI Talent Pipeline

China’s endeavors come as the country navigates a growing gap between the rapid advancement of AI technologies and the limited supply of qualified talent needed to keep pace. Renowned academician E Weinan emphasized the urgency of the mission, stating that “the era of intelligence will profoundly reshape how we think about research, education, and talent development.”

“The era of intelligence will profoundly reshape how we think about research, education, and talent development,” said E Weinan, a renowned academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. “We need a broader base of leading talent. It’s not enough to have just a few pioneers.”

These local initiatives reflect a broader, long-term effort by Chinese educators and policymakers to strengthen policy support for building the AI talent pipeline from the ground up. The foundation for this push was laid as early as July 2017, when the State Council released a development plan for next-generation AI. The document called for offering AI-related courses in primary and secondary schools.

In late 2024, the Ministry of Education issued a directive setting clear benchmarks for AI instruction at each educational stage: lower primary grades will focus on hands-on exposure to AI technologies; upper primary and junior high students will deepen their understanding and practical skills; while senior high school students will engage in project-based learning and explore advanced applications of AI.

To support the national agenda, local governments in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen have introduced their own tailored plans, accelerating the rollout of AI education across regions. “We aim to build an AI talent pipeline that begins with basic education and seamlessly connects to higher education and industry,” said Liu Tieyan, president of Zhongguancun Academy.