Performance evaluation of industry-education integration in higher education from the perspective of coupling coordination-an empirical study based on Chongqing

1. Introduction The industry-education integration and the cooperation between schools and enterprises are effective ways to cultivate high-quality applied talents and promote technological innovation [1]. They are also important means to deepen higher education reform and promote sustain- able development of education in the new era [2]. They play a significant role in promoting close cooperation among schools, enterprises, and the government, as well as sustainable development of regional economy and society [3]. Taking Foster’s "industry-university coop- eration theory" as a representative, it regards industry-university cooperation as a kind of applied talent cultivation mode different from ordinary higher education, advocating that schools and enterprises should work together to solve the problem of "misalignment between student education and enterprise needs" [4], jointly run schools, jointly cultivate talents, and take the path of "industry-university cooperation" [5], which lays the theoretical foundation for the industry-education integration. The industry-education integration has characteristics such as combining engineering with learning, mutual participation, and serving society. Edu- cation should not be limited to traditional classroom teaching mode [6], encouraging close connection between educational activities and social production activities [7], cultivating tal- ents needed for economic and social development [8, 9], and promoting sustainable industrial development [10]. The industry-education integration is the result of cooperation among

schools, enterprises, and the government, which is affected by various factors from these enti- ties [11]. It requires building a good partnership to achieve resource sharing and mutual com- plementarity [12]. Through the establishment of school-enterprise cooperation mode, various resources are optimized to form a talent cultivation mechanism for collaborative education [13]. In the practice of industry-education integration, represented by Dewey’s "learning by doing" theory, it emphasizes that the teaching process is a "process of doing", focuses on the combination of "doing" and "learning" in the talent cultivation process, and requires replacing the dominant position of traditional textbook-style textbooks with active, experiential and active assignments, connecting theory with practice. There are various cooperation models for open innovation between higher education and industry, such as industry-university-research cooperation, joint research and development, technology transfer, etc. [14, 15]. Several repre- sentative models with widespread influence have been formed: firstly, the enterprise-led model, which focuses on the dominant position of enterprises in industry-education integra- tion. The most influential ones include Germany’s "dual system", Japan’s "enterprise visit" and South Korea’s "industry-education integration" system. Secondly, the school-led model, which highlights the role of schools in industry-education integration. Typical examples include France’s "apprenticeship training system" and Australia’s "new apprenticeship system".

Thirdly, the equal emphasis on school and enterprise model, which is represented by the United States’ "contractual cooperation" and the United Kingdom’s "work-study alternating" model. It emphasizes the combination of school teaching and enterprise needs, actively culti- vating students’ core technical skills. In light of China’s actual situation, the reports of the 19th and 20th National Congresses pointed out that priority should be given to the development of education, deepen the indus- try-education integration, and build a high-quality education system. In order to implement the spirit of the industry-education integration, the central and local governments have intro- duced relevant policies, requiring deepening the industry-education integration, cultivating a large number of skilled talents, and integrating the industry-education integration as an important measure to promote coordinated economic and social development throughout the entire process of talent development. There is a complex coupling and coordination PLOS ONE Performance evaluation of industry-education integration in higher education based on coupling coordination PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308572 September 18, 2024 2 / 22 of Chongqing Municipal Education Commission in 2021 "Research on the Deep Integration and Collaborative Development of Urban and Rural Logistics in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle under the Background of Rural Revitalization" (Grant No. 21SKGH267); Chongqing Technology Foresight and Institutional Innovation Project

"Research on the Innovation of Applied Technical and Skills Talents Training Modes in Chongqing Based on Industry-Education Integration" (Grant No. cstc2019jsyj-zzysbAX0096). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.