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Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
English majors at Chinese universities face uncertain future as AI replaces basic skills
AI translation tools now achieve over 95 per cent accuracy at 1 per cent the cost of human services. BEIJING - Once boasting abundant opportunities to land promising careers, foreign language majors are now confronting profound change as artificial intelligence ( AI ) disrupts traditional career paths and universities implement sweeping reforms. In 2023, the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, Anhui province, was among the first top-tier universities in China to discontinue its English major. In 2024, the University of International Business and Economics and Beijing Language and Culture University announced the suspension of enrolment for several master's programmes in less commonly taught languages, including Japanese translation and Italian interpretation. In May 2024, the University of Jinan in Shandong province announced it had halted enrolment in nine undergraduate majors, including Korean and German. That same month, Shenyang Aerospace University in Liaoning province listed 10 majors paused for enrolment, including English. According to the university undergraduate major approval catalog covering 2018-2022 released by the Chinese Ministry of Education, a total of 28 foreign language-related majors were discontinued by 109 universities. Among these, 26 universities discontinued Japanese, 21 discontinued English, and 10 discontinued Korean. Golden era over Language majors enjoyed a golden era from 1999 to 2010, fuelled by China's World Trade Organisation accession in December 2001. During this period, universities offering foreign language programmes surged from 200 to over 600, representing a 200 per cent increase, according to education news portal EOL. By 2010, the total number of English majors in colleges nationwide reached 850,000, with employment rates consistently exceeding 90 per cent . In 2005, English graduates commanded starting salaries 15 per cent above the national undergraduate average. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore July BTO launch to have over 4,600 balance flats, 2 BTO projects with under than 3-year wait Singapore Acute psychiatry services to be expanded across all healthcare clusters: MOH Singapore 'Kpods broke our marriage, shattered our children': Woman on husband's vape addiction Business US tariffs may last well after Trump; crucial for countries to deepen trade ties: SM Lee Multimedia Telling the Singapore story for 180 years Asia Indonesia police detain 12 suspects over baby trafficking ring linked to Singapore Life Walking for exercise? Here are tips on how to do it properly Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years This trajectory, however, has reversed dramatically in recent years. AI translation tools now achieve over 95 per cent accuracy at 1 per cent the cost of human services, and have seized 40 per cent of the general translation market. The shift has eliminated demand for basic 'human translation machines 'while creating niches for 'translation managers' proficient in AI collaboration, EOL said. Employment statistics reflect the crisis. The 2023 employment rate for language majors fell to 76.8 per cent , 5.6 percentage points below the national undergraduate average, according to a report by Beijing-based education consultancy MyCOS. Only 52 per cent of language majors secured jobs related to their major, forcing nearly half to switch fields. Satisfaction with such majors plummeted from 78 per cent in 2010 to 67 per cen t in 2023, the report said. Traditional employment sectors contracted sharply. International trade and business hires declined from 28 per cent in 2010 to 18 per cent in 2023, while translation and localization roles halved from 15 per cent to 8 per cent during the period. Education and tutoring dropped from 25 per cent to 22 per cent , with K12 English training experiencing particularly severe contraction, MyCOS said. A new graduate of Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) , who asked to be identified by her surname Zeng, said she has witnessed the decline of English majors at one of the country's best foreign language higher-learning institutions as the minimum entry scores for its flagship English programme have dropped over the years. For Ms Zeng, the trade-off between pragmatism and the nuances and beauty of the English language is a daily concern. She said: 'When I tell people I studied English, their first question is always about AI – 'why bother learning English when AI can do translation?' they ask.' She added: 'What we study is the aesthetic beauty of language, without which, even with ChatGPT, people cannot tell whether the English written by the AI tool is good or not.' Moreover, when learning English, students also understand the political system of English-speaking countries, critical thinking, and the philosophy of the Western world, which are all useful knowledge to have, she said. Through intensive reading in English, students are exposed to independent thinking, and concepts such as equality and caring for others, she said. However, Ms Zeng acknowledged the difficulties English major graduates face in landing jobs in the face of economic headwinds. After experimenting with cross-border e-commerce livestreams and corporate training, she now tutors wealthy Beijing students – work that pays very well but offers no stability. 'I am afraid the difficulty for English graduates to find jobs is that they have not learned the language well enough, and they are not capable of even writing a simple e-mail,' she said. 'It is something I cannot understand, but it is part of the harsh truth.' She said she still recommends high school graduates to learn English at BFSU, which has a great environment and caring and highly capable teachers. Mr Zhao Xincheng's post-graduation odyssey illustrates the decline of English as a major. A graduate of Wuhan University in Hubei province, Mr Zhao secured a tutoring position last autumn, only to receive a termination notice in April – two months before his graduation. 'No explanation, just 'position eliminated',' he said. Multiple subsequent interviews yielded nothing. Mr Zhao said he is not inferior to his classmates in terms of language skills, appearance, personality and communication skills. He believes he has been terminated for no good reason and feels frustrated. Mr Zhao is now preparing to take the civil service exams in 2025 . He said he does not recommend English as a career choice for students. If they like to study languages, they should have skills in other fields to increase their employment competitiveness, he said. Broader decline There is a broader trend of English declining as a major said Professor Wu Peng, dean of Jiangsu University's Overseas Education College. Since 2022, he has found fewer students inquiring about enrolling in an English major, he said. There are also fewer students with high entrance scores choosing the major, while more English major students are choosing to later switch to engineering, he said. However, Prof Wu believes the decline is not limited to English as a major, or China alone. It exists in liberal arts majors in almost all countries as well as 'less useful' engineering majors, he said. Prof Wu attributed the waning interest to policy shifts (like the 'double reduction' policy reducing K-12 English tutoring jobs), technological disruption (AI handling 80 per cent of basic translation), and the discipline's core weakness. Its biggest failing is producing over 100,000 graduates annually who are mainly focused on pure language skills, while market demand now centers on high-end interdisciplinary competence. Associate Professor Dai Jiangwen, head of the English department at Beijing Jiaotong University, rejected claims that English majors are 'declining', arguing that the discipline requires optimisation aligned with national needs and the fourth industrial revolution. She emphasised foreign languages' critical role in safeguarding information sovereignty, developing language technologies like machine translation, and preserving linguistic diversity. Prof Dai stressed the 'irreplaceable humanistic attributes' of the discipline in the AI era – fostering emotional intelligence, cultural sensitivity, and critical thinking that AI lacks. Both professors agreed the core issue is structural. Prof Dai pinpointed outdated curricula, faculty misalignment with industry needs, rigid disciplinary classifications, and obsolete training models. Prof Wu said graduates face intense competition from students in other fields who also possess strong English skills plus specialised knowledge. Prof Dai strongly recommended English majors include language intelligence programmes in their studies, calling it a 'direct path' for humanities students to enter the AI industry. She pointed to one programme that combines linguistics, AI, data science and cultural studies as an example. Prof Wu advised current students to urgently build 'English plus' skills (for example international law and data science), master technical tools, and target high-growth niche areas like specialised translation services or cross-border e-commerce. He recommended the major only to students with clear interdisciplinary ambitions and international career plans, favoring dual-degree 'English plus X' paths. Prof Wu said while national policies such as the Belt and Road Initiative and reform and opening-up provide long-term demand for English talent, 'pure English' ability is devalued. He stressed the urgent need for 'English plus minor languages' or 'language plus professional' compound skills, noting there was a deficit of more than 500,000 students who are fluent in English plus languages like Russian or Arabic, adding that current faculty structures are ill-prepared. Both professors agreed AI will reshape, not replace, language fields. Prof Dai said machines cannot fully replicate human translators' creativity, especially in nuanced communication and cultural adaptation. Prof Wu predicted AI would automate low-end translation but create new roles like 'AI trainers' or 'cultural adapters', leading to human-AI collaboration. He emphasised that humanities disciplines, and exploring 'what makes us human' fundamentally define the boundaries of AI and other technologies. He said, 'AI will force the humanities to upgrade, not disappear, and create experts who can use AI but understand humans better than AI.' CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
Iceland volcano erupts for 12th time since 2021
Find out what's new on ST website and app. COPENHAGEN - A volcano erupted in south-west Iceland on Wednesday, the country's meteorological office said, marking the latest in a series of outbreaks near the capital in recent years. Often referred to as a land of ice and fire, the North Atlantic island nation with its many glaciers and volcanoes has now seen a dozen eruptions since geological systems on its Reykjanes peninsula reactivated in 2021. The outbreaks, known as fissure eruptions, are characterised by lava flows emerging from long cracks in the earth's crust, rather than from a central crater. The Reykjanes eruptions have not so far posed a threat to the capital Reykjavik, nor have they caused significant dispersals of ash into the stratosphere, avoiding air traffic disruption. The nearby fishing town of Grindavik, home to nearly 4,000 residents before an evacuation order in 2023, however remains mostly deserted due to the periodic threat from lava flows and related eartquakes. The Blue Lagoon luxury spa and the nearby Svartsengi thermal power station have also been at risk from lava in some of the previous eruptions. Experts have said the eruptions in the area could recur for decades, or even centuries. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore July BTO launch to have over 4,600 balance flats, 2 BTO projects with under than 3-year wait Singapore Acute psychiatry services to be expanded across all healthcare clusters: MOH Singapore 'Kpods broke our marriage, shattered our children': Woman on husband's vape addiction Business US tariffs may last well after Trump; crucial for countries to deepen trade ties: SM Lee Multimedia Telling the Singapore story for 180 years Asia Indonesia police detain 12 suspects over baby trafficking ring linked to Singapore Life Walking for exercise? Here are tips on how to do it properly Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years Iceland, which is roughly the size of the U.S. state of Kentucky and has fewer than 400,000 residents, boasts more than 30 active volcanoes. That makes the north European island a prime destination for volcano tourism - a niche segment that attracts thousands of thrill seekers every year to sites from Mexico and Guatemala, to Sicily, Indonesia and New Zealand. REUTERS
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
Hong Kong opens probe into AI-generated porn scandal at university
Find out what's new on ST website and app. A University of Hong Kong law student is accused of fabricating pornographic images using artificial intelligence. HONG KONG – Hong Kong's privacy watchdog has launched a criminal investigation into an AI-generated porn scandal at the city's oldest university after a student was accused of creating lewd images of his female classmates and teachers. Three people alleged over the weekend that a University of Hong Kong (HKU) law student fabricated pornographic images of at least 20 women using artificial intelligence in what is the first high-profile case of its kind in the Chinese financial hub. The university sparked outrage over a perceived lenient punishment after it said on July 12 it only sent a warning letter to the student and demanded he apologise. But Hong Kong's Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said on July 15 that disclosing someone else's personal data without consent, and with an intent to cause harm, could be an offence. The watchdog 'has begun a criminal investigation into the incident and has no further comment at this stage', it said, without mentioning the student. The accusers said in a statement on July 12 that Hong Kong law only criminalises the distribution of 'intimate images', including those created with AI, but not the generation of them. There is no allegation so far that the student spread the deepfake images, and so 'victims are unable to seek punishment… through Hong Kong's criminal justice system', they wrote. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore MBS' new development part of S'pore's broader, more ambitious transformation: PM Wong Singapore Current economic headwinds do not dampen outlook for new MBS building: Las Vegas Sands president Business MAS records net profit of $19.7 billion, fuelled by investment gains Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms and 1 lawyer over seized properties Singapore Man charged with attempted murder of woman at Kallang Wave Mall Singapore Ex-cleaner jailed over safety lapses linked to guard's death near 1-Altitude rooftop bar Singapore SJI International resumes overseas trips amid ongoing probe into student's death in Maldives in 2024 Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years The accusers said a friend discovered the images on the student's laptop. Experts warn the alleged use of AI in the scandal may be the tip of a 'very large iceberg' surrounding non-consensual imagery. 'The HKU case shows clearly that anyone could be a perpetrator, no space is 100 percent safe,' Professor Annie Chan, who teaches at Hong Kong's Lingnan University, said. Women's rights advocates said Hong Kong was 'lagging behind' in terms of legal protections. 'Some people who seek our help feel wronged because they never took those photos,' said Ms Doris Chong, executive director at the Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women, referring to cases at the group's crisis centre. 'The AI generations are so life-like that their circulation would be very upsetting.' Asked about the case at a news briefing on July 15, Hong Kong leader John Lee said most of the city's laws 'are applicable to activities on the internet'. HKU said on July 12 it will review the case and take further action if appropriate. AFP
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Centurion chases upside Down Under with premium student housing brand amid plans to list new Reit
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Epiisod Macquarie Park will be the first in a new line of student accommodations launched on July 15 by Centurion Corporation. SYDNEY – An infinity pool, sauna and even exclusive work opportunities. These are just some of the perks residents of an upcoming student accommodation development in Sydney can expect come early 2026. Epiisod Macquarie Park will be the first in a new line of student accommodations launched on July 15 by Singapore Exchange-listed Centurion Corporation, featuring upmarket, wellness-focused amenities. The launch of the new Epiisod brand is part of a wider effort by Centurion to accelerate earnings growth and free up capital for more investments, the company told Singapore reporters it hosted in Sydney on July 15. It comes after Centurion announced a new real estate investment trust (Reit) called Centurion Accommodation Reit, for which it had applied with regulators in June to list on the SGX mainboard. The company revealed in a July 14 bourse filing the properties it will divest as sponsor of the Reit, which is still pending listing approval from SGX and the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The new Reit will comprise 14 properties: five purpose-built worker accommodation assets in Singapore, eight purpose-built student accommodation assets in Britain, and one in Australia. That portfolio is valued at around $1.8 billion, but is expected to rise to $2.1 billion upon the deferred acquisition of Epiisod Macquarie Park, which is slated to join the Reit as the 15th property once ready for occupation. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore MBS' new development part of S'pore's broader, more ambitious transformation: PM Wong Business MAS records net profit of $19.7 billion, fuelled by investment gains Business Singapore financial sector growth doubles in 2024; assets managed cross $6 trillion in a first: MAS Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms and 1 lawyer over seized properties Singapore Man charged with attempted murder of woman at Kallang Wave Mall Singapore Ex-cleaner jailed over safety lapses linked to guard's death near 1-Altitude rooftop bar Singapore SJI International resumes overseas trips amid ongoing probe into student's death in Maldives in 2024 Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years Centurion chief executive Kong Chee Min described the Reit as a 'real asset-light strategy', as it allows the company to retain units in the Reit rather than directly owning the underlying properties. This, he added, enables capital recycling without having to resort to one-off property sales or equity fundraising that would be dilutive to Centurion's existing shareholders. Centurion plans to distribute some Reit units to shareholders as a dividend in specie on top of regular dividends after its 2026 annual general meeting, and aims to retain a 35 to 40 per cent stake in the Reit thereafter. Asked how Centurion decides which properties will go into the Reit, Mr Kong said: 'I would say, most of it, if it's suitable, we'll put into the Reit.' Centurion Accommodation Reit will also be able to acquire properties directly. The Reit's portfolio, meanwhile, is expected to consist largely of completed projects with a longer land tenure in developed markets, such as Australia, Singapore and the United Kingdom. As for the Reit's mix of student and worker accommodation assets, Mr Kong said both segments have long been part of Centurion's business and complement each other within the portfolio . Student accommodation is a very resilient market segment that tends to have much longer land tenures than property for housing workers, he added. Mr Kong added that Centurion will continue operating its existing student accommodation brand, Dwell, alongside Epiisod. Without disclosing figures, Mr Kong said Dwell would be priced around the market median for student accommodation, while Epiisod rooms would be positioned at a higher tier. There is no Dwell property in Sydney yet, but checks by The Straits Times show that a room costs around AU$400 (S$336) per person each week at Dwell Village Melbourne City. Moving forward, the company has no plans to focus on one brand over the other for student property. That said, Mr Kong added that the new projects Centurion is currently working on happen to be at sites that can be better developed as Epiisod properties. Meanwhile, any acquisitions will likely come under the mainstream Dwell brand, as it may not be feasible to refurbish existing buildings for an Epiisod offering, he added. Located steps from Macquarie University, Epiisod Macquarie Park will have 732 single rooms up for offer and available for registration from July 15 onwards. At least four more Epiisod properties are planned across Melbourne and Perth, with plans for the Reit to take ownership once they are developed. Centurion will also explore expanding to the Middle East and Europe, Mr Kong said. Centurion shares closed over 1.1 per cent higher, at $1.77 on July 15.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Straits Times
Researchers get $25m grant to screen, treat lung cancer in Asian patients
A team of clinicians and scientists from the National Cancer Centre Singapore have been awarded a $25 million grant. SINGAPORE - Researchers here have received a $25 million grant to work on tackling lung cancer in Asian patients across all stages – from risk prediction and early detection of those who are at risk, to personalised treatments of patients at more advanced stages of the illness. They want to gain a deeper understanding of why the disease – the deadliest cancer globally and one that kills three people each day in Singapore – behaves differently in Asian patients. Unlike in Western countries where lung cancer is mainly linked to smoking, nearly half of Singapore's lung cancer patients have never smoked. Many have non-small cell lung cancer, a type of the cancer that is often driven by mutations in a gene known as the EGFR. While the advent of targeted therapies in the past two decades have improved survival rates , most patients develop drug resistance within nine to 15 months, causing relapse. Even early-stage patients face relapse risks after surgery. The question is why. The $25 million grant comes from the Ministry of Health's National Medical Research Council. It establishes the project called Clarion, which stands for Conquering Lung Cancer Across All Stages With Research And Innovation. Clarion will build on more than a decade of research undertaken by a multidisciplinary team led by the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS). The team also includes researchers from A*Star and the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore. At a media briefing at NCCS on July 15, Associate Professor Daniel Tan, a senior consultant in NCCS' Division of Medical Oncology, said lung cancer is a major challenge because some 60 per cent of cases are picked up in the late stages of the disease . Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business MAS records net profit of $19.7 billion, fuelled by investment gains Business Singapore financial sector growth doubles in 2024, assets managed cross $6 trillion in a first: MAS Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms and 1 lawyer over seized properties Singapore Man charged with attempted murder of woman at Kallang Wave Mall Singapore Ex-cleaner jailed over safety lapses linked to guard's death near 1-Altitude rooftop bar Singapore SJI International resumes overseas trips amid ongoing probe into student's death in Maldives in 2024 Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT gets 15.8 per cent capacity boost with new trains Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years Until now, it is not yet clear which group of people is at higher risk of having lung cancer, apart from those who have a family history. Studies elsewhere have also shown that pollution can be one of the non-smoking-related triggers of lung cancer, he said. The researchers want to find out who is at risk of the cancer in order to identify the right groups for screening, as well as find out which groups will progress to having more severe disease, and which ones will not, said Associate Professor Tam Wai Leong, deputy executive director of A*Star Genomic Institute of Singapore. Around two years ago, the national lung cancer research group launched Solstice, Singapore's first local lung cancer screening study to screen family members of lung cancer patients using low-dose CT scans. The new grant will enable them to expand this study. A screening study done in Taiwan found that about 2 per cent of 12,000 non-smokers who were screened had lung cancer. The Taiwan findings suggested that a family history of lung cancer among first-degree relatives significantly increases the risk of lung cancer. While the results of Singapore's screening programme are not ready, the lung cancer research team has achieved other milestones. These include discovering new biomarkers explaining drug resistance, and introducing comprehensive molecular profiling for lung cancer patients, allowing doctors to tailor treatments based on the genetic and molecular characteristics of their cancer. The group also set up Singapore's first multidisciplinary lung cancer clinic, where specialists collaborate to design personalised treatment plans for complex cases. The team's research serves up hope to Asians, particularly those who have never smoked but are at risk of lung cancer – like homemaker Tiffany Khor, 46 . She did not notice any symptoms of the disease until she started experiencing breathlessness and a persistent cough following the birth of her second child 10 years ago. An X-ray showed that her entire left lung was filled with fluid and that she had low oxygen levels. At that point, she was told that she had Stage 3B lung cancer had that spread to her diaphragm. Ms Tiffany Khor and her husband Josh Yong. She started experiencing breathlessness and a persistent cough following the birth of her second child 10 years ago. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Ms Khor stopped her chemotherapy treatment after only two sessions. 'I didn't know how long I would live, so I decided not to waste any more time undergoing treatment. I wanted to spend the rest of my time with my children,' she told the media at NCCS. After undergoing genomic and molecular testing, she was found to have ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer, which could be treated using targeted therapy. However, she decided to seek alternative therapy, until early 2016 when she was too weak to decline treatment. At NCCS, scans showed that her cancer had spread to her brain, which meant her cancer had progressed to Stage 4. She went on targeted therapy and had home hospice care. In late 2023, when scans showed that her cancer spread to the lining of her brain and spinal cord, her husband Josh Yong was desperate for a solution. He researched different clinical trials and came across the drug NVL-655 which had just been cleared by the FDA for clinical trials in the United States in May 2024. From her oncologist, Mr Yong found out that Singapore was one of the sites in a multi-country trial for the oral chemotherapy drug and got her on the ALKOVE-1 trial in June 2024. Results have been very positive, with scans showing that the tumours in Ms Khor's spine and traces of the cancer from her brain lining have gone. Her cancer is now under control. Mr Yong said his wife has never been better mentally and physically since she started struggling with the cancer.
