Higher vocational education—often regarded as the cradle of skilled talent—is an indispensable component of the modern education system. Industry–education integration serves as the crucial bridge connecting this cradle with the real industrial world. For many years, I have been observing the development of China’s higher vocational education and reflecting on a central question: How can we ensure real alignment between classroom knowledge and workplace practice, so that the skills students acquire can generate maximum value in society and industry? This book was conceived in response to that question, aiming to offer readers a perspective that is both systematic and practically applicable.

Globally, higher vocational education has accumulated substantial experience. Germany’s “dual system” enables students to learn theoretical knowledge in school while engaging in long-term internships and project-based training in enterprises, forming a tight integration between academic education and professional practice. In the United States, community colleges and technical colleges emphasize short-cycle, employment-oriented skill training, focusing on certificates and job-related competencies to help students enter the workforce quickly. Many European countries have also established robust vocational education and training systems that align closely with labor market needs through curriculum design, enterprise-based training, and regional industrial collaboration. These experiences collectively demonstrate that higher vocational education is not merely the transmission of knowledge; it is a mode of cultivating practical skills, professional literacy, and innovative spirit—an outcome driven jointly by education and industry.

China’s higher vocational education started relatively late but has developed rapidly. Since the beginning of the reform and opening-up era, China has gradually established an independent higher vocational education system through higher vocational colleges, vocationally oriented undergraduate institutions, and continuing education platforms. Over time, the system has evolved from single-skill training to a multi-level, diversified approach to talent cultivation. Throughout this process, the guiding philosophy—serving local economies, serving industry development, and serving the cultivation of skilled talent—has remained consistent. It is precisely for this reason that industry–education integration is recognized as a central pathway for promoting high-quality development in China’s higher vocational education.

The purpose of writing this book is to integrate the theories, practices, and strategies of vocational education into a coherent knowledge framework, allowing readers to clearly understand both the internal logic and the real challenges behind ongoing educational reform. This book not only reviews the evolution of vocational education, domestic and international policy environments, practical models, and regional economic impacts, but also draws on representative cases to analyze the operational aspects of industry–education integration—such as mechanisms for school–enterprise cooperation, curriculum reform, construction of training bases, and the adaptability and innovativeness of talent cultivation. Our aim is to strike a balance between theory and practice so that readers can appreciate both the rigor of academic inquiry and the vitality of practical exploration.