WU Qiuxiang: Multiple Chinese “Double World-Class Project” Universities Announce Undergraduate Expansion Plans

Recently, several of China’s “Double World-Class Project” universities have successively announced plans to expand their undergraduate enrollment. The expansion of high-quality undergraduate education, represented by these top-tier institutions, reflects a shift from focusing solely on internal considerations—such as institutional orientation, resource constraints, cost-effectiveness, and admission score lines—towards actively aligning with broader national strategic objectives. It is a concrete manifestation of the thinking that transcends the logic of individual institutions and represents an inevitable step in building China into a leading country in education in the new era.

At present, China’s gross enrollment rate in higher education has exceeded 60%, marking a transition from elite to universal higher education. It is projected that by around 2032, demand for higher education will significantly increase. Expanding high-quality undergraduate education is thus a key strategy to meet future challenges and support national development. Given the relatively small number of “Double World-Class Project” universities, their undergraduate enrollment has grown only modestly. Moderately increasing their enrollment size will help meet public expectations for access to prestigious universities.

Among the announcements from these universities, two key concepts are particularly noteworthy: “orderly and moderate” and “targeted expansion”. “Orderly and moderate” emphasizes the controllability and sustainability of enrollment growth to ensure the quality of talent cultivation. “Targeted expansion” highlights the focus on areas urgently needed for national strategies, basic disciplines, and emerging frontier fields. It aligns enrollment increases with adjustments in institutional academic structures to address the shortage of talent in critical disciplines.

(The above views are excerpted and translated from an article by WU Qiuxiang, a researcher at the National Academy of Development and Strategy, Renmin University of China, published in Guangming Daily titled “Actively Promoting the Expansion and Optimization of High-Quality Undergraduate Education”.)

Original article link: https://epaper.gmw.cn/gmrb/html/2025-04/11/nw.D110000gmrb_20250411_2-02.htm

Translator: ZHANG Yuqing

Editor: ZHANG Jingjing