Construction and Practice of an Organization and Management Model for Discipline Competitions at a Local University in Western China

Discipline competitions are of great significance in cultivating innovative talents in Chinese higher education, but local universities still face persistent challenges such as low student participation, insufficient teacher motivation, and limited achievement transformation. This study draws on the theory of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) and collaborative innovation to construct and pilot a systematic discipline competition organization and management model for Yan’an University, a typical local university in western China. This model includes three implementation paths - mechanism optimization, capacity building, and technological empowerment, as well as four core elements covering mechanisms, capability, technology, and ecosystems. The main mechanisms include a dual incentive system, a university-enterprise collaborative resource pool, and a competition-teaching-research-industry integration ecosystem. After the implementation of this model within 24 months, the number of student participants increased by 20%, the award performance increased by 4.8%, teacher participation increased significantly, and it received generally positive feedback from stakeholders. This study provides a potentially transferable framework for local universities to enhance the educational function of discipline competitions and deepen the integration of industry-academia-research.