Zhejiang University AI Trailblazers 2025: Fueling Hangzhou's Global Rise

This article explores how Zhejiang University (ZJU) has become a pioneering force in AI education and talent development, particularly highlighted through the success of alumni like Liang Wenfeng, founder of DeepSeek.

ZJU has systematically built China's most comprehensive AI education ecosystem since establishing its Computer Science Department in 1978. The university was among the first to launch AI undergraduate programs in 2018 and created China's first interdisciplinary AI curriculum in 2019. Today, ZJU offers hierarchical AI education across all disciplines, ensuring students from medicine to humanities can access relevant AI knowledge through specialized coursework and innovative teaching methods.

• ZJU pioneered China's first compulsory AI general education courses with discipline-specific textbooks for STEM, social sciences, and humanities students
• The university developed an "AI+X" interdisciplinary micro-major program, expanding to "AI+X 2.0" in 2025 to foster cross-disciplinary innovation
• Innovative classroom applications include AI teaching assistants, generative platforms for medical training, and career mentoring tools
• ZJU's comprehensive approach spans talent cultivation from undergraduate to postgraduate levels, creating a steady pipeline of AI professionals for China's growing tech industry