Six top universities to offer undergrad major in low-altitude space this fall

In a major move to address the strategic demands of China's burgeoning low-altitude space economy, six top universities have jointly launched an undergraduate program in the sector this year. They expect to enroll new undergraduates for the upcoming fall semester.

Approved by the Ministry of Education and added to China's national catalog of undergraduate programs in April, the initiative represents an urgent national effort to cultivate talent for an industry poised to exceed 1.5 trillion yuan ($207 billion) by 2025.

The six institutions are Beihang University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, South China University of Technology, and Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Luo Mingqiang, vice-dean of the School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering at Beihang University, defines the low-altitude space economy as encompassing aircraft operating below 1,000 meters and their related activities, which are increasingly intertwined with daily life. "In the future, our daily commutes, package deliveries, or even ordering a cup of coffee will likely be closely linked to the low-altitude space economy," he said, and mentioned existing applications like drone-based pesticide spraying, power line inspection and urban medical supply delivery.

The coordinated rollout of the undergrad major follows the formal inclusion of "low-altitude space economy" in China's 2024 Government Work Report and the establishment of a dedicated low-altitude economy department under the National Development and Reform Commission.

In order to facilitate a more agile response to national strategies and cater to newly prioritized strategic areas, the Ministry of Education said it had implemented a new mechanism allowing swift adjustments to the 2025 undergraduate major catalog. The low-altitude space major was one of them.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China forecasts that the domestic low-altitude economy market will reach 1.5 trillion yuan this year, expanding further to 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035. The anticipated growth has intensified demand for specialized talent.

Li Luoze contributed to the story.