International Journal of Education

With the vigorous development of China’s higher education, the cultivation of international talents has become an important indicator for measuring the educational strength of universities. As a major gateway to western China and a key node of the Belt and Road Initiative, Shaanxi Province is striving to build a new frontier for inland reform and opening up, which places unprecedented demands on the international competence of the local talent pool. Against this backdrop, the introduction and promotion of the English Test for International Communication (hereinafter referred to as the “ETIC”) have provided new perspectives and benchmarks for application-oriented undergraduate education. Taking the philosophy and competency model of the ETIC as the analytical framework, this paper focuses on application-oriented undergraduate universities in Shaanxi Province. Through empirical research, it deeply analyzes the current status and crux of international talent cultivation in these institutions, and systematically constructs a new competence-oriented cultivation model characterized by deep integration of industry and education. The study aims to provide theoretical references and practical pathways for addressing current cultivation challenges and enhancing the precision and effectiveness of international talent development.

ETIC; Washback effect; Application-oriented undergraduate universities; Cultivation of international talents