Influencing Factors of Cultivation and Improvement of College Students’ Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ability under the New Normal

Shuli SONG

School of Economics and Management, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing 163319, China

Abstract The cultivation of innovative and entrepreneurial talents is an effective guarantee to meet the strategic needs of national development under the new normal, promote the construction of an innovative country and the development of universities themselves. Combined with the questionnaire survey of colleges and universities in Heilongjiang Province, this paper analyzed factors such as the understanding of the connotation of innovation and entrepreneurship, the thinking and awareness of innovation and entrepreneurship, the demand for training methods of innovation and entrepreneurship, and the approaches to acquire knowledge and capabilities of innovation and entrepreneurship. On this basis, it came up with recommendations for promoting the cultivation of innovative and entrepreneurial talents in colleges and universities, to provide an objective basis for the construction of innovative and entrepreneurial talent training models, so as to promote the effective cultivation of innovative and entrepreneurial talents in colleges and universities.

Key words New normal, Innovation and entrepreneurship, Talent cultivation

1 Introduction

The new normal of economic development is the sustainable development and steady growth based on a symmetrical economic structure. Innovation and entrepreneurship is the guarantee for upgrading the industrial structure, improving production efficiency, and transforming the mode of economic growth, while the innovative and entrepreneurial talents are the basic guarantee for the construction of an innovative country under the new normal. Colleges and universities are the cradle of talent cultivation. Under the new situation that innovation and entrepreneurship education is a national innovation-driven strategy to promote high-quality entrepreneurship and employment for college students, the cultivation of innovative and entrepreneurial talents is the top priority of China’s higher education. For this, it is particularly necessary to analyze the current situation of innovative and entrepreneurial talents training in colleges and universities under new normal of economic development.

2 Survey of the influencing factors of innovative and entrepreneurial talents cultivation in colleges and universities under new normal of economic development

2.1 Design of the research

2.1.1Selection of samples. In this study, we selected some colleges and universities in Heilongjiang Province as the survey objects, distributed 200 copies of questionnaires through an online platform (Wenjuanxing), and obtained 191 copies of questionnaires, including 191 valid ones. The female students accounted for 68.59% of the respondents, and male students accounted for 31.41%. In order to improve the pertinence and representativeness of the sample and ensure the reliability of the survey results, the universities we selected for the sample are distributed in five fields: science and engineering, agriculture and forestry, finance and economics, comprehensive and medicine.

2.1.2Questionnaire design and research methods. The content of the questionnaire consisted of questions about the basic information of the respondents, the connotation of innovation and entrepreneurship, thinking and awareness, and the needs of cultivation methods. The questionnaire was firstly carried out in Northeast Petroleum University, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University and Harbin Medical University (Daqing Campus), 20 students were randomly selected for pre-investigation and information feedback. The structure and content of the questionnaire were modified to form a formal questionnaire.

2.2 Survey results and problem analysis

2.2.1Understanding of the connotation of innovation and entrepreneurship. The understanding of the connotation is the subjective factor influencing the innovation and entrepreneurship awareness of college students, and a deep understanding and a high degree of recognition are the prerequisites for the practice of innovation and entrepreneurship. According to the statistical results of 191 valid questionnaires, most students could get rid of traditional stereotyped thinking, and realize that innovation and entrepreneurship can be a form of self-management based on self-management from the narrow sense of starting a company or starting a business, especially focusing on developing innovative projects or patents (64.4%) and individual interest-oriented practice (59.16%). Interest is the best teacher, and the combination of interest and hard work is the source of knowledge accumulation. Effectively identifying, guiding and cultivating interests is the core of stimulating and cultivating the awareness of innovation and entrepreneurship. The survey results show that college students are still at the primary level of understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship, and have not yet been clearly concentrated, largely because the participation in practice is not high, which leads to insufficient understanding or lack of deep understanding.

2.2.2Thinking and awareness about innovation and entrepreneurship. Thinking and awareness are ways and means that are different from ordinary thinking and seeking answers from a unique perspective, and are a good start for the development of innovative and entrepreneurial qualities and capabilities. From the survey results (Table 1), it can be seen that market research or scheme design by oneself (68.06%) relying on their own efforts to innovate has the largest number of students. This indicates that college students have strong ideas and courage to explore the unknown, so innovative and entrepreneurial thinking and awareness urgently need to be developed and improved. While college students have a certain spirit of adventure, traditional employment concepts also restrict their thinking. They seek stability, security, and dignity in their jobs. They are passive and slack in participating in practical activities. In addition, the platform, funds, relevant laws, systems, and policies are not perfect and not in place, leading to the lack of motivation for college students.

2.2.3Methods and demands of innovation and entrepreneurship cultivation. Cultivation methods and demands are the basis and direction for the design of talent cultivation programs and the setting of cultivation content. Reasonable cultivation methods can get twice the result with half the effort, and the satisfaction of cultivation demands can stimulate enthusiasm for participation. According to the survey results (Table 1), the demand for setting up practical extracurricular activities was the largest (73.3%), followed by participating in big innovation projects or entrepreneurial competitions (70.16%). Insufficient combination of theory and practice is a common problem. The awareness and motivation of innovation and entrepreneurship are not strong, which leads to insufficient attention and participation, and innovation just remains a mere formality. The proportion of establishing practice bases (57.59%) and innovation and entrepreneurship theory courses (54.45%) is not very high, because innovation and entrepreneurship, as an elective course, has the characteristics of weak system, low credits, and traditional teaching forms, which lead to fewer participation opportunities, greater difficulty of participation, and lack of professional guidance.

2.2.4Ways to acquire innovation and entrepreneurship knowledge and capabilities. The way to acquire knowledge and capabilities is the practical guarantee for cultivating college students’ innovative and entrepreneurial ability. The survey results (Table 1) show that the largest proportion is to go to the enterprise to practice (74.87%). It can be seen that a systematic and operable practical teaching system needs more practice. Expert lectures/expert guidance (60.73%) can provide cutting-edge information to broaden horizons. Experts’ personal experience has strong persuasiveness and appeal, and can arouse college students to imitate, stimulate innovation and entrepreneurial enthusiasm. Among them, the degree of recognition of simulated test (63.35%) and course learning (63.35%) is similar and relatively low, because innovation and entrepreneurship courses have strong practical characteristics and a long process of transforming theory into ability.

Table 1 Survey results on innovation and entrepreneurship

3 Recommendations for improving the cultivation of innovation and entrepreneurship ability in colleges and universities

3.1 Cultivating innovation interest and stimulating entrepreneurial motivationIt is recommended to start with "interest" and "motivation" to strengthen college students’ strong interest in innovation and entrepreneurship. Guided by interests, guiding college students’ correct understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship from the perspective of thinking and awareness will not only help college students to clarify the direction of innovation and increase their initiative in innovation. In addition, it is conducive to promoting the generation of entrepreneurial motivation, and guiding college students to consciously, actively, proactively and wholeheartedly devote themselves to innovation and entrepreneurship, making good preparations in theory and practice, and then forming an atmosphere of fighting for goals, fighting for interests, and fighting for ideals, so as to prepare for the transition from theory to practice, from preparation to entrepreneurship to experience entrepreneurship.

3.2 Improving the infrastructure guarantee system and optimizing the college-enterprise education environmentIt is recommended to start from the "infrastructure guarantee" and "educational environment" to strengthen the guarantee and construction of college students’ innovative and entrepreneurial ability. Infrastructure guarantee is the objective condition for the effective formation of positive internal factors. The educational environment is an indispensable external condition for the formation of internal factors, and it is necessary for the subjective and objective conditions for the cultivation of innovative and entrepreneurial talents. The infrastructure guarantee system focuses on the optimization and construction of the environment and resources. School-enterprise cooperation to optimize the education environment is conducive to the effective role of project-based curriculum resources and the construction of a diversified practice platform.

3.3 Introducing social funds to broaden entrepreneurship waysIt is recommended to prepare for the provision of economic foundation and entrepreneurial path from funds and ways. The introduction of social funds is not only conducive to the optimization and construction of modern college students’ innovation and entrepreneurship platforms and entrepreneurial approaches, but also is helpful for colleges and universities to fully integrate, optimize and share campus resources by taking advantage of specific identities and status advantages in combination with demands of the campus. It is possible to fully stimulate college students who are willing to innovate and start a business to actively participate in the construction of the campus economy. Furthermore, it is conducive to developing and providing more entrepreneurial opportunities and innovative positions that are more suitable for college students, and is helpful for college students to realize their entrepreneurial dreams.

4 Conclusions

Under new normal of economic development, in order to respond to the national development strategy of "building an innovative country and deeply implementing innovation-driven" and to achieve a high level of "mass entrepreneurship and innovation", colleges and universities undertake the important mission of cultivating innovative and entrepreneurial talents. By fully discovering the positive motivations and obstacles in the process of cultivating and improving college students’ innovative and entrepreneurial abilities, it is feasible to effectively avoid detours in the process of talent cultivation of colleges and universities. Continuously strengthening the internal causes of college students’ active innovation and entrepreneurship, fully mobilizing social funds, promoting college-enterprise cooperation and optimizing the educational environment are not only crucial to deepening the reform of innovation and entrepreneurship education in colleges and universities, but also helpful for promoting the cultivation of innovative and entrepreneurial talents.