Excellent engineers are an important strategic talent force of the country. studying its core competencies and development status serves as the critical foundation for the cultivation of these talents in the new era. One questionnaire for 2460 engineering undergraduates from a first-class university suggests that the core competence is comprised of knowledge, skills, and competence/ability/capacity. Students value basic knowledge including mathematics, physics, chemistry, and engineering science, while also attach great important to the skills to apply scientific engineering knowledge in practice, and the ability to self-motivate and inspire. Economic and business knowledge, leadership, curiosity and the desire to keep learning were the most lacking among students. By further comparing the core competencies of excellent engineers from the perspective of students from China and the United States. it is found that Chinese students highlight the mastery and application of basic knowledge, while American students value effective communication and leadership more. Chinese students value the ability to self-drive and motivation, whereas American students give priority to teamwork and the ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams. To cultivate excellent engineers in the new era, we should strengthen the integration of curriculum in engineering education, emphasize the learning of basic knowledge, expand students potential, forster students' active learning motive, and Create engineering practice scenarios, cultivate the core competencies of future engineers.

1. Jiang PX. The Integrated Development of "Reaching the Heights, Standing Firmly on the Ground, and Cultivating Talents" and "Education, Science and Technology, and Talents"-Also on the Cultivation of Outstanding Engineers. R D Manag. 2024;36(4):8-11.    DOI: 10.13581/j.cnki.rdm.20240996

2. Zhao CL. [Accelerate the Cultivation of Outstanding Engineers in the New Era to Serve the Construction of an Important Global Talent Center and an Innovation Highland].China High Educ. 2022;(20):13-15.

3. Zeng Y. Opportunities, Challenges and Responses for the Development of New Engineering Education in China in the Post - epidemic Era. Res High Educ Eng. 2020,(6):1-5.

4. Yang W, Wang SY, Wu XL, et al. Reforming Postgraduate Education in Engineering and Focusing on Cultivating Outstanding Engineers. Acad Degrees Grad Educ. 2023;(1):1-15.    DOI: 10.16750/j.adge.2023.01.001

5. Zhu L, Shi JC, Wu JS. How to Cultivate Engineers' Digital Competence. Res High Educ Eng. 2020;(3):60-67.

6. Fu J, Zhong Z, Qiao WF. How to Cultivate Outstanding Engineers in the New Era? - Insights from the Gordon Prize Engineering Education. Tsinghua J Educ Res. 2024;45(03):77-86.    DOI: 10.14138/j.1001-4519.2024.03.007710

7. Yang Y, Fan YY. [From Engineering Students to Engineers: The Core Orientation, Practical Dilemmas and Reform Paths of the Engineering Education System]. Res Educ Dev. 2024;44(19):78-84.    DOI: 10.14121/j.cnki.1008-3855.2024.19.011

8. Zheng QH. [The Development of Higher Engineering Education: Upholding the Right and Innovating]. Res High Educ Eng. 2021;(5):44-49+81.

9. Zeng XP, Yan F, Zeng H. [Exploration and Practice of the Training Model for Engineering Talents in Electronic Information in the New Era]. China Univ Teach. 2023(1):11-18.

10. Yang D, Lin J. [Five Excellences: The Perspective and Inspiration of the Engineering Talent Training Model of First - class American Universities - Taking Purdue University as an Example]. Mod Univ Educ. 2023;39(6):60-71.    DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1671-1610.2023.06.010

11. American Society for Engineering Education. Goals of Engineering Education (1968). American Society for Engineering Education. Accessed August 25, 2021. https://www.asee.org/publications/ASEE-Publications/ASEE-Reports.

12. American Society for Engineering Education. The Green Report - Engineering Education for a Changing World (1994). American Society for Engineering Education. Accessed August 25, 2021. https://www.asee.org/publications/ASEE-Publications/ASEE-Reports.

13. American Society for Engineering Education. Creating a Culture for Scholarly and Systematic Innovation in Engineering Education-Ensuring U.S. engineering has the right people with the right talent for a global society (2009). American Society for Engineering Education. Accessed August 25, 2021. https://www.asee.org/publications/ASEE-Publications/ASEE-Reports.

14. American Society for Engineering Education. Transforming Undergraduate Education in Engineering Phase I: Synthesizing and Integrating Industry Perspectives (2013). American Society for Engineering Education. Accessed August 25, 2021. https://www.asee.org/publications/ASEE-Publications/ASEE-Reports.

15. American Society for Engineering Education.Transforming Undergraduate Education in Engineering Phase II:Insights from Tomorrow’s Engineers(2017). American Society for Engineering Education. Accessed August 25, 2021. https://www.asee.org/publications/ASEE-Publications/ASEE-Reports.

16. Zhou YQ. [Quality, Quality Education and Cultural Quality Education]. China High Educ. 2000;(8):3-5+30.

17. Li PG, Chen LP. [Reconstructing Engineering Education in Twin Spaces: Consciousness and Action]. Res High Educ Eng. 2021;(03):1-8.

18. Hu YJ, Xiong Q. [The Leadership Education for Students in American Universities and Its Enlightenment]. High Educ Explor. 2016;(10):71-75.    DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-9760.2016.10.015

19. Zhang W. [The Reference of Engineering Education for Technological Innovation: Mode Integration and Adjusting Measures to Local Conditions of Universities]. Acad Degrees Grad Educ. 2022(5):1-8.    DOI: 10.16750/j.adge.2022.05.001

20. Wang WL. [Research on the Cultivation of Educational Entrepreneurship Talents in American Universities - Based on the Case Analysis of the Educational Entrepreneurship Master Program at the University of Pennsylvania]. Comp Educ Rev. 2022;44(06):91-99.    DOI: 10.20013/j.cnki.ICE.2022.06.11

21. Yu JX, Cheng LM, Zhao W. [The Exploration and Practice of Cultivating High - EQ Innovative Leading Talents - Taking Tianjin University as an Example]. J National Acad Educ Adm. 2017;(02):16-22.    DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-4038.2017.02.003

22. Ouyang P, Hu BC. [The Generation Path and Blocking Strategy of "Engineering Becoming Science - oriented]. Res High Educ Eng. 2024;(05):37-42.

23. Qu ZY. School education and engineering practices: dual pathways to cultivating excellent engineers. Eng Edu Rev. 2024;2(1):16-18.    DOI: 10.54844/eer.2024.0517

24. Yuan J, Lei Q. [A Comparative Study on Two Approaches to the Curriculum Design of Communication Skills Courses in Engineering Majors in American Universities—Taking Purdue University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology as Examples]. China High Educ Res. 2023;(02):89-95.    DOI: 10.16298/j.cnki.1004-3667.2023.02.12