Shenzhen University of Technology to drop College English for cross-cultural communication course in 2026

Shenzhen University of Technology's academic director Zhao Wei said in a TV show that starting in 2026, the school's experimental classes will gradually replace College English with cross-cultural communication courses. Zhao noted that while AI can replicate template content, deep human thinking and real communication are irreplaceable advantages.

Zhao emphasized that the new curriculum aims to help students understand both Chinese and Western cultures, enabling them to interact with international counterparts with confidence and equality. He believes that skills like tact, empathy, and cultural judgment in business talks and cultural exchanges still rely on humans, not translation tools.

Zhao also questioned whether AI qualifies as a science, suggesting that anyone could become the 'Newton' of the field, discovering yet-undefined principles.