Pioneering university cultivating top-tier talent in AI

Aiming to cultivate top-tier global talent in artificial intelligence, Shanghai Jiao Tong University has introduced a new integrated bachelor's and master's program with a talent cultivation path that is unprecedented in Chinese universities.

Integrating mathematics, AI and engineering, as well as incorporating humanities and social sciences, the program seeks to nurture AI innovators who embody a blend of technological prowess and humanistic understanding, and who are equipped to play a leading role on the international stage, according to the school.

SJTU is among pioneering universities in China that are starting to offer AI-related courses and majors.

Launched by the university's Paris Elite Institute of Technology, together with two prestigious French academic groups — Ecole Polytechnique and Paris Sciences and Lettres University — the "Class of Descartes" program is scheduled to enroll its inaugural group of around 20 undergraduate students this autumn.

"Such an integrated path of talent cultivation, especially one that involves AI governance and humanitarian concern, has not been seen in other institutions of higher education in the country," said Chen Cailian, the Chinese dean of the institute, during a media briefing on Friday.

The program will be conducted in Chinese, English and French, emphasizing the need to enhance students' cross-linguistic expression and intercultural comprehension. The students will be encouraged to contemplate issues, such as trustworthy AI and ethical technology, against a global backdrop, according to the institute.

The curriculum will specifically incorporate content from humanities and social sciences, and offer a module on global AI governance, in order to guide students in understanding the ethical, legal and regulatory challenges brought about by AI development.

Chen said that AI is profoundly reshaping the global technology and industrial landscape, with its core lying in the deep integration of fundamental theories, underlying algorithms and engineering implementation.

"This class emphasizes the integration of mathematics, physics and AI, inheriting the advantages of French education in abstract modeling and logical reasoning, while also incorporating the practical traditions of engineering applications and system realization from SJTU," she said.

Named after Rene Descartes (1596–1650), the renowned French mathematician, physicist and philosopher, the program places a strong emphasis on fostering originality and global awareness among students.

The program aims to produce high-level talent with a keen sense of international AI governance, innovation capabilities and collaborative skills essential to meet the strategic needs of the nation in fundamental research, key technologies and global technological competition, said Chen.

"We will pay particular attention to cultivating an international perspective from this group of young people to focus on the common issues of humanity, such as climate change and AI governance and relevant ethics, rather than just letting them learn a technical skill," she said.

"Meanwhile, we hope they will make voices from China better heard on the international stage in the future, showcasing the grace and spiritual pursuits of Chinese scientists," Chen said.

Hamza Boukili, a French math teacher at the institute, said the focus of cultivating future-oriented talent should be fostering AI and interdisciplinary capabilities to tackle complex, real-world engineering challenges, which is exactly what the "Class of Descartes" program highlights.

Zhu Ye, 31, who was among the inaugural group of graduates from SJTU's Paris Elite Institute of Technology and is now a postdoctoral researcher at the computer science department of Princeton University in the United States, emphasized the evolving demands of talent in the rapidly advancing field of AI, where proficiency in cross-disciplinary skills and systemic thinking is becoming increasingly essential.

Aiming to cultivate engineering talent and business leaders, SJTU and four France-based engineering schools jointly established the institute at SJTU in 2012.

Many universities in China have begun offering AI-related courses and majors. Some prestigious schools, including Tsinghua University, Peking University and Zhejiang University, have strong research capabilities in the AI field and provide education in related majors.

Tsinghua University has enabled more than 200 courses to be empowered by AI, enhancing the teaching and learning experiences through various functions.