Shanxi province will allocate 10.5 billion yuan ($1.57 billion) in fiscal funds to implement a new round of its billion-yuan initiative aimed at enhancing and expanding higher education from 2026 to 2028. The initiative focuses on 10 strategic plans to improve educational quality and capacity.

The initiative aims to strongly support three "Double First-Class" disciplines in achieving top-tier status, elevate around 10 advantageous disciplines to first-class standing, and advance 30 or so potential disciplines. 

In May, the chemistry subject offered at Taiyuan University of Technology joined the global top 0.1 percent in the ESI rankings, becoming the university's third globally top-ranked discipline alongside engineering and materials science.

The program system will undergo iterative upgrades. About 50 low-quality, misaligned, and surplus programs will be phased out, while over 100 emerging, urgently needed, and scarce programs will be introduced. 

In May, Shanxi Provincial Education Department announced adjustments at four vocational colleges, adding 18 new programs across fields such as healthcare, wellness tourism, and information technology.

Industry-education integration and digital empowerment are key components of the 10 strategic plans. From 2022 to 2025, North University of China's Graduate College for Elite Engineers enrolled 486 master's and doctoral students, establishing joint training models with 83 enterprises.

By 2028, the comprehensive strength and core competitiveness of higher education institutions in Shanxi are expected to be significantly enhanced, positioning higher education as an indispensable driver and robust support for Shanxi's advancement toward Chinese-style modernization.