How China’s Business Schools Are Adopting STEM

• China’s Education Power Construction Plan aims to make the country an educational powerhouse by focusing on the interrelated areas of higher education, artificial intelligence, and the digital economy.
• To fast-track the integration of STEM into their programs, China’s schools are embedding AI into the curriculum, creating cross-disciplinary options, and expanding technology transfer initiatives.
• International business schools also are meeting the demand for tech-savvy professionals by adding AI elements into traditional courses, introducing specialized programs, and offering STEM-designated options.

 
As the pace of digital transformation accelerates, business leaders can only remain competitive if they’re proficient in areas such as data analytics, technological literacy, and scientific reasoning.

That’s why business schools worldwide are incorporating the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and math into more of their programs at all levels. Their strategies include integrating data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) into the core curriculum, launching STEM-designated degree programs, and crafting interdisciplinary programs.

That’s certainly the case in China, where a growing number of business schools are focusing on STEM fields in ways that align well with recent legislation. In January 2025, the Chinese government launched the Education Power Construction Plan with the goal of building a “strong education nation” by 2035. The plan aims to coordinate education development across the country’s institutions, improve efficiencies in innovation, and create an education system whose accessibility and quality are among the best in the world.

The Intertwining of Education and AI

The framework of the Education Power Construction Plan focuses on three specific areas. Higher education is the crucial engine for cultivating talent, encouraging innovation, and strengthening China’s economic competitiveness. Artificial intelligence is expected to “unlock new pathways of development and forge competitive advantages” for China. And the digital economy has emerged as a critical driver of China’s economic growth—in fact, in 2024, the value-added contribution of core digital industries was approximately 10 percent of the gross domestic product.

These three areas are interrelated, because the government views the digital economy and artificial intelligence not only as essential tools for modernizing education, but also as two frontiers of knowledge that education must support. In essence, these two areas constitute foundational elements of China’s vision to emerge as an educational powerhouse.

The swift expansion of the digital economy underscores how necessary it is for future managers to master technological tools, which means that the education sector must embrace digital tools proactively to remain effective and relevant. By explicitly emphasizing the need to “respond directly to developments in the digital economy and future industries,” the government’s plan seeks to maintain a strong alignment between academic programs and market demands.

The digital economy and artificial intelligence are foundational elements of China’s vision to emerge as an educational powerhouse.

In practice, this means universities in China need to take several steps:

• Update course content to incorporate topics such as e-commerce, fintech, data analytics, and blockchain.
• Create interdisciplinary programs that merge traditional disciplines with essential IT skills.
• Introduce new majors in fields that support China’s priority sectors, including artificial intelligence engineering, big data science, intelligent manufacturing, and digital business management.
• Equip students with skills such as basic coding, information management, digital collaboration, and data security awareness.
• Launch new AI-focused courses and degree programs, including specialized AI majors.
• Expand enrollment to match industry demand and governmental priorities.
• Bolster academic AI research by encouraging interdisciplinary collaborations and improving processes that turn academic innovations into real-world innovations.

One tool that could help universities achieve these goals comes from Chinese startup DeepSeek, which has launched a large language model chatbot that is competitive with products such as ChatGPT. Since the tool’s release in 2025, universities across China have accelerated the rollout of their AI curricula and significantly increased the number of students admitted to programs in AI-related fields. They aim to create a continuous pipeline of skilled AI engineers, researchers, and professionals to meet the needs of the expanding AI sector.

The Business Schools’ Response

As they fast-track the integration of STEM into their programs, China’s business schools are employing three strategies: embedding AI in the curriculum, creating cross-disciplinary options, and expanding technology transfer initiatives. Here’s a closer look at how three schools are implementing these strategies.

Incorporating AI into the curriculum. Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management (SEM) has strategically embedded AI into its degree programs across all educational levels. For instance, within the Global MBA program, the Managerial Thinking course has pivoted away from a focus on soft skills. Instead, the course emphasizes data-driven decision-making and trains students to use AI tools designed explicitly for people analytics and organizational management.

The course extensively relies on generative AI platforms, including Tsinghua’s ChatGLM, a Chinese-language AI model developed by university researchers. Students regularly use the tool to analyze case data, generate insights, and assist in drafting reports and presentations. For instance, in one module, students use AI-assisted data analysis to address human resource challenges such as improving employee engagement.

To integrate STEM into their programs, schools are embedding AI in the curriculum, creating cross-disciplinary options, and expanding technology transfer initiatives.

Through such assignments, students learn how to interpret AI outputs and data visualization, and they sharpen the managerial judgment they will bring to the AI-driven business environment. By integrating AI tools into the coursework, SEM ensures that traditional assignments remain challenging and value-added.

Developing interdisciplinary programs. Fudan University has established dual-degree undergraduate programs that combine business disciplines with AI-focused fields.

As one example, in 2025, the School of Management at Fudan University (FDSM) collaborated with the School of Computer Science to create a double-degree program in marketing and AI. The program takes a “dual-core drive, cross-fusion” approach by integrating marketing competencies—consumer behavior analysis, digital marketing strategies, and brand management—with specialized AI methodologies such as data modeling and algorithmic design.

Students learn to develop intelligent marketing systems, optimize marketing decisions through AI-driven approaches, and analyze multimodal consumer data relevant to the digital economy. They master technical skills such as Python programming, neural networks, and deep learning.

FDSM also works with industry partners to co-create electives such as Generative AI in Content Marketing. By tackling real-world business challenges through hands-on projects, students learn to bridge the gap between AI and business strategy.

In addition, the School of Economics at Fudan University has partnered with the School of Computer Science to launch a dual bachelor’s degree program in Public Finance and Artificial Intelligence. Integrating applied economics with the rapidly evolving field of AI, the program aims to develop versatile professionals who are adept in cutting-edge technologies such as intelligent taxation systems, digital financial management, and AI-driven socioeconomic analysis.

The curriculum integrates core economic theories, essential artificial intelligence techniques, and practical applications of AI within public finance and taxation. Graduates will possess the knowledge and skills to make impactful contributions to both research and practice across areas such as public finance, taxation policy, and macroeconomic analysis.

Creating dedicated technology transfer initiatives. In 2021, the SJTU-BOC Institute of Technology & Finance at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) established its Master of Technology Transfer (MTT) program to address the shortage of experts capable of transforming scientific innovations in high-tech industries into viable commercial applications.

The MTT curriculum, which is intentionally interdisciplinary and highly practice-oriented, consists of six distinct modules. Some cover foundational knowledge such as basic management and finance concepts for tech professionals; others blend technological and business insights.

The technology transfer program eliminates traditional academic boundaries to bring together faculty from engineering, science, business management, finance, law, and policy.

After completing core courses, students select one of two specialization tracks. Strategic Technology Planning focuses on innovation strategy, technology road mapping, and R&D project management within key sectors. Technological Innovation Financing concentrates on areas such as venture capital, entrepreneurship finance, technology valuation, and investment decision-making for startups.

A distinctive feature of this program is that it deliberately eliminates traditional academic boundaries to bring together faculty and expertise from engineering, science, business management, finance, law, and policy. This interdisciplinary approach ensures students gain a comprehensive understanding of the entire technology transfer landscape, including technical considerations, market analysis, legal issues, and financial structures.

Because hands-on experience is an essential part of the program, SJTU professors co-teach alongside experienced industry practitioners, and many courses incorporate real-world case studies and simulations. For instance, in Industry Field Investigation, students collaborate with companies or technology transfer agencies to analyze innovation projects in real-world settings. Student teams also take on technology commercialization projects in which they transform scientific inventions or research findings into market-ready proposals. They validate technical specifications, develop prototypes, assess market feasibility, and outline financing strategies.

A New Chapter for Business Education

Just as it is in China, the rise of digital technologies is reshaping curricula at business schools worldwide. For example, London Business School has incorporated STEM elements into its MBA with courses such as Data Analytics for Managers. It also has introduced specialized degree programs, expanded its tech-related electives, and launched a one-year Master’s in Analytics and Management.

Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Illinois, has joined with the university’s McCormick School of Engineering to create an MBAi program designed to train AI-literate business leaders. The fully integrated curriculum blends a traditional MBA foundation with instruction in informatics, machine learning, and AI.

Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business in Pittsburgh offers a full-time MBA program that combines a robust analytical core with a flexible interdisciplinary curriculum that promotes collaborative problem-solving. Because the program has been STEM-designated by the U.S. government, graduates can stay in the country for up to 36 additional months for temporary employment.

China’s business schools are part of this global movement to add STEM elements to business programs. At the same time, they are aligning their initiatives with national strategic priorities and economic growth targets with the goal of strengthening China’s global competitiveness in an increasingly digital economy.

As schools in China and elsewhere integrate STEM disciplines into their programs, they are profoundly reshaping how business leaders are trained. They are equipping graduates with the skills they need to navigate and excel in today’s technology-intensive market. And they are overseeing a transformative global shift in business education.