Abstract: In the context of educational reform in China, the “Combining Competition with Teaching” model, guided by the “Three Comprehensive Education” concept, is emerging as a crucial approach for cultivating applied innovative talents. This philosophy emphasizes the comprehensiveness of quality education, aimed at enhancing students’ overall abilities and practical skills. This study analyzes the positive impacts of this model on students, teachers, universities, and enterprises, while identifying challenges in its implementation, such as the elitist tendencies of educational resources, insufficient sustained motivation for student participation in competitions, fairness in team achievement distribution, and a lack of interdisciplinary teaching teams. To address these challenges, the paper proposes targeted optimization strategies, including fostering an inclusive learning environment, helping students balance academic and competition pressures, ensuring equitable returns for contributions, and building interdisciplinary teaching teams. These initiatives aim to further promote educational reform, deepen the integration of the “Combining Competition with Teaching” model in higher education, and meet the urgent societal need for innovative talent, thereby contributing to the country’s technological advancement and economic development. The discussion provides a clear direction and practical framework for the future development of this model.

Key words: Three comprehensive education, Combining competition with teaching, Applied talents, Innovation and entrepreneurship