Breaking educational boundaries: ZJU introduces cutting-edge AI courses to high school classrooms

Zhejiang University (ZJU) is spearheading a transformative shift in pedagogical models for the AI era. Recently, a pioneering "cloud classroom" initiative successfully bridged the gap between elite higher education and secondary schooling, connecting ZJU's premier lecture halls with high-achieving seniors at the prestigious Hangzhou Foreign Language School (HFLS). Through real-time interactive streaming, these students-many of whom have already secured university admission through recommendation-were granted exclusive early access to ZJU's course General Education of Artificial Intelligence (Class C: Humanities and Arts).

Rather than diving immediately into dense coding or abstract mathematics, Professor XU Duanqing of ZJU's College of Computer Science and Technology guided students through a captivating evolutionary odyssey of AI. The lecture traced the field's trajectory from its origins in symbolic reasoning to the modern era of Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs). This curriculum is intentionally designed to move beyond mere knowledge accumulation; by utilizing case studies and hands-on project simulations, students explore the profound intersection of AI with the humanities and arts. The ultimate goal is to equip the next generation with the cognitive tools necessary to solve complex, cross-disciplinary problems. As AI continues to redefine traditional learning models, ZJU views AI literacy not merely as a technical skill, but as a strategic cornerstone for fostering innovation in a rapidly evolving global society.

This collaboration serves as a pivotal component of the AI STEP ofZJU. Following a progressive development path of "Start, Train, Explore, and Progress", the initiative promotes the deep integration of artificial intelligence across diverse academic disciplines. This vision is being realized through the development of next-generation AI textbooks, the Zhihai-Mo hands-on training platform, and the implementation of specialized, discipline-specific large language models.

In March 2024, ZJU further solidified its commitment by establishing the Research Center of Artificial Intelligence for Education and Teaching. The Center has launched a sophisticated, tiered ABCD curriculum framework, specifically tailored to students from diverse academic backgrounds-ranging from medicine and engineering to the social sciences and liberal arts. By partnering with several leading middle and high schools, ZJU is effectively leveraging its position as a top-tier research university to radiate its academic resources downward.

Through this cross-institutional and cross-stage collaboration, Zhejiang University is fully leveraging its role as a leading higher education institution to build a robust AI educational ecosystem that spans from foundational education to the university level. This exploration not only bridges existing gaps in the talent cultivation pipeline but also ensures that the younger generation gains an authentic perception and practical application skills in AI before officially stepping onto a university campus. By linking foundational cognition with professional expertise, ZJU is empowering the leaders of tomorrow to meet future technological challenges with unprecedented confidence and insight.
Source: Research Center of Artificial Intelligence for Education and Teaching
Translator: LU Yihsuan ('28, Literature)
Editor: JIANG Chenqi ('27, Structural Engineering), HAN Xiao