Long lines snaked around booths, with some candidates waiting over an hour just to get to the front. The scene - the first teacher’s job fair 2025 in Hangzhou was held Saturday afternoon at the Cangqian Campus of Hangzhou Normal University (HNU). Nearly 400 employers from Hangzhou and neighboring cities like Huzhou, Jinhua, and Taizhou offered positions across all grade levels, drawing close to 10,000 graduates. The turnout was as electric as ever, continuing the event’s reputation as a must-attend for aspiring educators.

This year, however, the crowd wasn’t just local. Reporters spotted graduates from top teacher-training universities outside Zhejiang, including East China Normal University, Central China Normal University, and Nanjing Normal University. Xiao, a senior from Hunan Normal University, said he’d just submitted his resume to a high school in Anji. “My schedule’s been packed. I’ve flown to Zhejiang twice in the past week alone,” he shared. “So far, I’ve applied to schools in Shaoxing, Huzhou, and Jiaxing.”

For fresh graduates, fall is the “golden time” to land their first job. At the fair, it wasn’t uncommon for schools to hand out on-the-spot “assessment notices” to promising candidates after a quick resume review. Those selected would take written tests and interviews the very next day, with successful applicants signing contracts face-to-face shortly after.

But what truly set this year’s fair apart was the spotlight on artificial intelligence (AI) in education.

Last year, China’s Ministry of Education issued Guidelines on Strengthening AI Education in Primary and Secondary Schools, mandating nationwide integration of AI literacy into K12 curricula by 2030. Following suit, Zhejiang and Hangzhou rolled out action plans and curriculum frameworks. Since September 2025, every primary and secondary school in Hangzhou has offered foundational AI education, blending staged coursework with real-world applications to cement the fusion of AI and core subjects.

“Have you designed or implemented any ‘AI + education’ projects” became a recurring question at interviews. Many candidates came prepared. Cai, a senior majoring in Elementary Education (Teacher Training Track) at HNU, wowed recruiters with a short demo video - using AI, she brought the swallows described in a classic Chinese language text to life - they are fluttering off the page and tracing graceful arcs across the screen. The blend of traditional literature and tech sparked enthusiastic praise. “That’s genuinely impressive!” said one hiring manager, clearly taken aback by the innovation.