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The Educational Review, USA

ISSN Online: 2575-7946 ISSN Print: 2575-7938 CODEN: TERUBB
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ArticleOpen Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/er.2026.01.003

Cultivating Undergraduate Research and Innovation Capacity Within a Vertically Integrated Bachelor-Master-Doctoral Training Framework

Chen'ang Liu, Jinyu Chen, Ying Wang, Shiyu Wang*

Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University/Second Clinical Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei, China.

*Corresponding author: Shiyu Wang

This study was supported by the 2025 Wuhan University Science–Education and Industry–Education Collaborative Talent Development Practice Project (Project on the Construction of an Undergraduate Research Training System at the College Level), and the Special Task Project of the Hubei Provincial Department of Education (No. 25ZX110).
Published: January 23,2026

Abstract

Research and innovation capacity has become a key indicator of talent cultivation quality in higher education. Under traditional segmented training structures, insufficient alignment between undergraduate and graduate research training often constrains the systematic development of high-level innovative talent. Vertically integrated bachelor-master-doctoral training has emerged as a promising approach to address this challenge. From the perspective of vertically integrated academic training, this study examines the structural constraints affecting the development of students’ research and innovation capacity in universities, with particular emphasis on the foundational role of the undergraduate stage in fostering research interest and research-oriented thinking. By analyzing curriculum design, collaborative supervision mechanisms, and research practice platforms, the study proposes an undergraduate-centered training pathway in which graduate education serves a progressive and deepening function. The findings aim to provide practical insights for optimizing talent cultivation systems and strengthening research and innovation capacity in higher education institutions.

Keywords

Vertically integrated training; undergraduate education; research and innovation capacity; talent cultivation in higher education

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How to cite this paper

Cultivating Undergraduate Research and Innovation Capacity Within a Vertically Integrated Bachelor-Master-Doctoral Training Framework

How to cite this paper: Chen’ang Liu, Jinyu Chen, Ying Wang, Shiyu Wang. (2026). Cultivating Undergraduate Research and Innovation Capacity Within a Vertically Integrated Bachelor-Master-Doctoral Training FrameworkThe Educational Review, USA10(1), 15-19.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/er.2026.01.003