Survey and Analysis Report on Cultivating Practical and Innovative Competenciesamong Graduate Students in Economics

Abstract

    With the rapid development of the digital economy and artificial intelligence, enterprises are placing increasingly high demands on the practical and innovative competencies of economics-related professionals. Optimizing graduate education models has therefore become an important issue that universities must urgently address. To examine the current situation and existing problems in cultivating these competencies, this study conducted a questionnaire survey among graduate students in economics-related programs at Chongqing University of Technology. The findings reveal prominent problems in research projects, academic competitions, applied research outcomes, internship experience, course evaluation, training needs, and the development of practical training platforms. Specifically, graduate students demonstrate relatively weak independent research capabilities; high-quality applied and innovative outputs remain insufficient; course content is disconnected from industry practices; on-campus practical training platforms are inadequate; and a substantial mismatch exists between students’ needs and the educational provision of universities. These problems stem not only from structural imbalances among curriculum design, platform development, and industry needs, but are also closely associated with deficiencies in supervisory mechanisms and limited opportunities for students to undertake independent research training. Universities should therefore make coordinated efforts in three areas—restructuring the curriculum, deepening industry–university collaboration, and optimizing practical training platforms—to systematically improve the quality of practical and innovative competency development among graduate students.