Universities capitalize on China’s “Sputnik moment”

Universities across China have launched artificial intelligence (AI) courses this month based on Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, whose AI breakthrough has been described as a "Sputnik moment" for China and garnered widespread attention.

The move comes as Chinese authorities aim to boost scientific and technological innovation in schools and universities that can create new sources of growth for the world's second-largest economy.

DeepSeek, a Hangzhou-based startup, has been showered with praise by Silicon Valley executives and U.S. tech company engineers alike, who say its models DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1 are on par with OpenAI and Meta's most advanced models.

Shenzhen University in southern Guangdong province said this week that it was launching an artificial intelligence course based on DeepSeek which would help students learn about key technologies and also on security, privacy, ethics and other challenges it said.

It will "explore how to find a balance between technological innovation and ethical norms."

Zhejiang University in eastern China said it began holding special DeepSeek courses in February.

Shanghai's Jiao Tong University has deployed DeepSeek to upgrade AI learning tools for its courses, it said on its official WeChat account. The Renmin University of China has also put DeepSeek into application in "multiple fields, injecting new power for teaching and research, campus office," it said.

China in January issued its first national action plan to build a "strong education nation" by 2035 which it said aims to establish a "high quality education system" with accessibility and quality "among the best in the world."

Liang Wenfeng, founder of DeepSeek, attended a rare meeting on Monday with President Xi Jinping and some of the biggest names in China's technology sector, such as Alibaba (9988.HK).