Higher education in science, engineering, agriculture and medicine and industrial intelligence: evidence from threshold effects

Using a balanced panel of 30 Chinese provinces from 2012 to 2019, this research examines the association between higher education in science, engineering, agriculture and medicine (SEAM) and industrial intelligence. Two-way fixed-effects estimates show a positive association between SEAM and industrial intelligence (coefficient 0.462). The result remains stable under alternative weighting methods, additional controls, sample exclusions and a lag-instrument 2SLS check. Panel-threshold estimates based on institution-type enrolment shares identify a single threshold of 0.384 for SEAM-oriented institutions, double thresholds of 0.341 and 0.395 for science-and-engineering-oriented institutions, and a single threshold of 0.034 for medicine-oriented institutions. No agricultural threshold is detected.