Comparative Study of Excellent Engineer Training Models between China and Europe

Abstract

Europe has a long-standing tradition of cultivating excellent engineers, with distinctive national models that offer valuable insights for China. This paper introduces educational governance theory, industry-education integration ecology theory, and knowledge production mode theory to conduct a comparative study of Chinese and European excellent engineer training models from three core dimensions: governance structure, industry-education relationship, and competence construction. The research reveals that the differences between Chinese and European models are rooted in distinct institutional environments and governance traditions—Europe presents characteristics of “industry co-governance,” while China’s “administratively led” model, though advantageous in strategic responsiveness, faces challenges in activating enterprise subjectivity; Europe features a “symbiotic” industry-education relationship, whereas China is transitioning from an “embedded” to an “integrated” ecology; European competence construction prioritizes “systems thinking,” while China excels in “technical precision” but needs to strengthen interdisciplinary integration. Based on these findings, this paper proposes three reform pathways—restructuring the training system, innovating tutor governance, and reshaping evaluation mechanisms—to provide references for building a world-class excellent engineer training system with Chinese characteristics.