Exploring new cross-industry cooperation paths for the cultivation of talents in the low-altitude economy

The "Research Report on the Development of China's Low altitude Economy (2024)" released by the China Academy of Electronic Information Industry Development in April 2024 shows that the scale of China's low altitude economy will reach 505.95 billion yuan in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 33.8%. According to relevant government departments' predictions, the market size will reach 1.5 trillion yuan by 2025; It is expected to exceed 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035. In the face of this rapidly developing strategic emerging industry, how to build a talent training system that is compatible with it has become a focus of attention for both the education and industry sectors. The practice of Guangdong universities represented by Guangdong University of Foreign Studies and International Trade has shown that the cultivation of low altitude economic talents not only requires technological innovation, but also requires the empowerment of foreign languages to promote international development, build professional frameworks, and deepen the collaboration between government, industry, academia, and research, thereby providing talent support for industrial development.

The booming development of the industry calls for innovation in talent cultivation

As a strategic emerging industry and an important component of the digital economy, the low altitude economy is accelerating its development in the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area. The "Action Plan for Promoting High quality Development of Low altitude Economy in Guangdong Province (2024-2026)" issued in May 2024 clearly states that by 2026, a low altitude economy industry pattern will be basically formed with the linkage of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai, multi-point support, and large-scale development.

In this context, Guangdong universities have begun to lay out the construction of related majors, successively adding vocational and undergraduate majors related to the development of low altitude economy. However, in the past few years of talent cultivation practice, the core of low altitude economic talent cultivation (taking drone technology as an example) has only remained at the level of technical control, flight maintenance and other skill training in colleges and universities, making it difficult for students to closely integrate technical learning with economic theory and industrial development.

Experts in the fields of economics and business discourse at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (hereinafter referred to as "Guangwai") closely follow the development of related industries, and combine their experience in curriculum construction in foreign universities to attempt new breakthroughs in the theory of low altitude economic development and the research of low altitude industry enterprises' external communication discourse. At the same time, Guangdong Songshan Vocational and Technical College (hereinafter referred to as "Songshan Vocational College") has taken the lead in cooperating with Beijing Zhonglian Aviation Investment Group Co., Ltd. to explore the top-level design of vocational education in low altitude economy, and proposed three breakthrough points for innovation in low altitude economy related professional courses: firstly, to enable students to learn leading technologies and establish a macro understanding of low altitude industry technology; Secondly, enable students to learn low altitude technology and low altitude economic operations, and build a clear underlying operational logic and practical system; Finally, through the systematic theoretical study of low altitude economics and foreign language empowerment, students can enhance their international perspective in low altitude economics learning and their professional confidence in international communication. These three breakthrough points can be achieved through the vocational education of Songshan Vocational College, the theoretical improvement of low altitude economy at Guangwai, and the cooperation in research on enterprise economic discourse. We will continuously innovate the progressive curriculum construction of "technology+low altitude economics, low altitude economics+foreign language, foreign language+enterprise economic discourse" at three levels, and connect the education development model and curriculum construction system of "vocational college+undergraduate".

Building a talent cultivation framework through foreign language empowerment

As the first university in Guangdong Province to carry out the construction of dual bachelor's degree composite talent training projects, Guangwai has formed a demonstration effect in the field of foreign-related big data and digital economy through composite training. Among them, Guangwai International Business English College offers a dual degree undergraduate program of "Foreign Language+Digital Economics", aiming to break through the bottleneck of digital talents in the language direction and attempt new breakthroughs in high-level research and development such as enterprise economic discourse research and master's and doctoral course construction.

The low altitude economy is essentially an important application scenario and extended field of the digital economy. The theory of the digital economy provides a methodological basis for the innovation of business models and the construction of industrial ecosystems in the low altitude economy. As a liberal arts oriented university, Guangzhou International Studies University has established a strategic partnership with Songshan Vocational College, actively responding to the dual needs of market development and industrial upgrading, targeting the construction of industrial economics, digital humanities, and economic discourse in the field of low altitude economy. Together with the government, other universities in Guangdong, and enterprises, we aim to create a platform for collaborative education between government, school, and enterprises, filling the gaps in the research of Guangzhou's low altitude economy in the economic discourse system of policy, operation, and standard globalization, and cultivating international and composite talents suitable for the low altitude economy.

Another partner of Guangdong Foreign Studies University, Nanguo Business School (hereinafter referred to as "Guangwai Nanguo"), has opened an economics major (low altitude economy direction), relying on the characteristics of "foreign language+application" education, focusing on cultivating high-quality undergraduate talents to serve the development of low altitude economy. Guangwai Nanguo has established relevant majors in the fields of low altitude operation scenarios, low altitude flight services, ground support services, and air support services, cultivating composite talents of "low altitude economy+foreign language" and "low altitude economy+air traffic control", forming a talent training pattern that is differentiated and complementary to science and engineering universities. Several economic experts and foreign language professors from Guangwai, together with Professor Nanguo from Guangwai, are exploring the social impact and commercial applications of the low altitude economy. Together, they are exploring the challenges of the digital economy in the development of the low altitude economy and constructing a discourse system for contemporary new quality productivity.

To further promote technological research and development and achievement transformation, Guangwai also gathers wisdom through various high-end forums and expert lectures, focusing on policy and industry research, talent cultivation, and industry collaboration, seeking solutions to problems. On May 29, 2025, the Development Forum of One Hundred Famous Teachers from Guangwai invited experts from the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Application Promotion Center of the Chinese Aeronautical Society to conduct in-depth discussions on low altitude economy and Guangwai experts. On site, experts combined their respective experiences, based on the location advantages of South China International Airport and the characteristics of foreign language, management and other disciplines, generally suggested that schools explore differentiated and distinctive "foreign language+" and "low altitude economy+" composite talent training paths and feasible plans.

Inter school cooperation to cultivate talents in emerging industries

Theoretical development and vocational education need to work together to cultivate skilled talents while enhancing the international influence of China's low altitude economy industry university research through foreign language empowerment; While deepening the collaboration between government, industry, academia, and research, we should create a favorable cognitive environment and talent ecology for industrial development. Whether it is the "Foreign Language+Digital Economy" course offered by Guangwai International Business English College, the exploration of enterprise economic discourse under the background of new humanities and big data, the construction of Guangwai Nanguo's "Low altitude Economics" major, or the school enterprise cooperation of Songshan Vocational College's Low altitude Economics Industry College, these forward-looking explorations that gather industry wisdom, deepen school enterprise cooperation, and innovate training models reflect the responsibility of Guangdong universities to actively serve the development of new quality productivity and respond to national strategic needs through inter school cooperation, and are forging a characteristic development path of "new humanities empowering new economy". The exploration of intercollegiate cooperation between Guangwai and other universities has provided new ideas for talent cultivation in Chinese universities.