Which university degrees will survive AI job disruption?- BBC World Service

Comments by a senior Indonesian official about students pursuing “irrelevant” university degrees has sparked a debate about what sort of careers will survive in a fast-changing job market.

Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM

Indonesia is looking at ways to better equip universities and vocational schools for the future job market, and a relatively low level of graduates with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) degrees has the government concerned.

It’s a priority across Asia, with governments trying different methods to increase the number of STEM students, with some like China and Malaysia having more success than others.

But with AI-related job losses hitting the global tech sector particularly hard, should we be rethinking the types of careers that will withstand the artificial
intelligence shock?

Host Mariko Oi is joined by Astudestra Ajengrastri from the BBC World Service in Jakarta and Bill Birtles from the Asia Specific podcast team.

This episode was recorded May 25th, 2026.

00:00 Introduction
01:36 Details of Indonesia gov't comments on university degrees
03:07 Backlash in Indonesia
03:49 Broader efforts in Asia to push students towards STEM subjects
05:49 The standout star of South East Asia for STEM
06:33 Efforts by Japan's gov't to increase STEM graduate numbers
08:11 Increasing women in STEM
09:40 What happens to female STEM graduates in Indonesia?
10:45 How China pushes students towards STEM
13:54 The job threat posed by AI
15:14 What are the jobs that will withstand AI's disruption?

Watch more episodes of Asia Specific here 👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4c3njIxB0KHuO8SS2mBMtUc

Instagram: @bbcworldservice
Email: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Mariko Oi
Camera: Muhammad Firdaus Bin Mohd Ansary, Rosalehin Bin Rosli, Fahmi Jamal
Editor: Bill Birtles
----------------

This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel.
If you like what we do, you can also find us here:
Instagram 👉🏽 https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldservice
Twitter 👉🏽 https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice
Facebook 👉🏽 https://facebook.com/bbcworldservice
BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio

Thanks for watching and subscribing!
#BBCWorldService #WorldService #University #Study #Indonesia #AI #student