China’s gaokao begins as millions rethink university amid job market fears

Nearly 13 million high school students across China have begun sitting the gaokao, the country's highly competitive university entrance exam, widely seen as a defining moment in a student's future. However, fewer young people are choosing to take the exam this year, as concerns over a slowing economy and a tight job market reshape attitudes towards higher education. In Shanghai, some students and graduates say they regret missing out on newly introduced university majors linked to emerging industries such as robotics and artificial intelligence. One student told Al Jazeera that fields like “embodied intelligence” represent the future and would have influenced his academic choices had they been available earlier. Chinese authorities have expanded university offerings to include 38 new majors this year, including brain-computer science, agricultural robotics, and rare earths and minerals — sectors aligned with Beijing's strategic industrial priorities. The move is part of a broader effort to train talent in areas considered critical to long-term economic development. But rising youth unemployment, which remains above 16 percent, has led some graduates to opt for vocational training or gig economy jobs instead of traditional university pathways. Analysts say this reflects a growing mismatch between academic qualifications and labour market demand. As millions continue to sit one of the world's toughest exams, the debate over education, employment, and opportunity is intensifying across China.

Al Jazeera's Katrina Yu reports from Shanghai, China.

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