Abstract: In response to the provincial initiative to develop the distinctive disciplinary cluster “smart building and environmental engineering” , this study addresses the disconnection between talent cultivation in environmental engineering and industry upgrading. Based on empirical findings from enterprise surveys and teacher-student discussions, systematic teaching reforms have been carried out. Centered on the “program objective achievement matrix” , a new curriculum system characterized by “four modules and three supports” was constructed. Through the cross-restructuring of the four modules—general education, disciplinary foundation, specialized courses, and innovation-entrepreneurship—along with the synergistic support of three pillars (competency attainment, practical teaching, and faculty development), the professional feature of “smart environmental protection” has been highlighted. The reform has achieved notable outcomes: student participation in discipline-related competitions increased by 50%; the teaching team obtained provincial/ministerial research awards and fed the results back into teaching; adjunct professors from top universities were invited to offer cutting-edge interdisciplinary courses. The research demonstrates that evidence-based systematic curriculum restructuring, coupled with the “dual-teacher dual-drive” model, serves as an effective pathway for local application-oriented universities to align with disciplinary cluster development and cultivate high-quality interdisciplinary environmental engineering talent.

Key words: Curriculum reform, Environmental engineering, Teaching innovation, Practical skills, Advantageous disciplinary cluster, Program objective matrix