The College of Applied Economics strives to nurture versatile and practical talents in the realm of applied economics. It currently provides four majors, namely International Economics and Trade, Finance, Economic Statistics, and Digital Economy. With around 2,000 students presently matriculated, the college proudly holds membership in the Expert Committee of the China Service Trade Association.

The college is equipped with comprehensive hardware and software amenities, delivering an excellent academic and research setting for both educators and learners. Designated as a Guangdong Provincial Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center, the Economic and Management Experimental Teaching Center spans 5,371 square meters and has garnered a cumulative investment of 14.83 million yuan. Furthermore, the college boasts three professional laboratories: the International Trade Laboratory, Finance Laboratory, and Statistics Laboratory. These laboratories undertake specialized experiments and hands-on teaching endeavors, including international trade practices, international settlements, stock, securities, foreign exchange, and futures trading, economic forecasting and decision-making, as well as big data science and decision-making.

Possessing substantial teaching and research prowess, the college is an integral part of the Guangdong Provincial Social Sciences Federation's Key Consulting Base for Humanities and Social Sciences. Finance stands as a school-level key discipline, while Finance and International Economy and Trade represent collaborative education demonstration majors between academia and industry. The college has forged strong relationships with numerous enterprises, such as China Life, China Merchants Securities, Ping An Insurance, Jingchuan Duoying, and Weidu Statistics. Additionally, it has established close to 100 off-campus internship bases, offering students an outstanding environment for internships, research, and employment opportunities. In recent years, the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and national initiatives like the "Belt and Road" have significantly propelled the advancement of finance, international trade, big data decision-making, and other domains, presenting the college with ample growth opportunities.

The college actively pursues international academic exchanges and collaborations in international education. It has inked a cooperation agreement with Purdue University Northwest in the finance sector. Moreover, the "3+2" model, aimed at jointly cultivating finance master's students with Western Sydney University in Australia, has progressed to the implementation phase. The professional verification efforts with Richmond University in the UK are steadily moving forward, and a CFA experimental class has been set up, providing students with a premium platform for studying abroad and furthering their education.

Currently, the college employs 71 in-service instructors, comprising 5 professors, 9 associate professors, and 9 individuals holding doctorates. Educators with master's degrees or higher account for 95% of the total teaching staff. Simultaneously, the college engages several part-time instructors from the industry, paving the way for the nurturing of applied talents.

The college places immense importance on innovation and entrepreneurship training for its students. In recent years, students have achieved remarkable feats in various scientific and technological competitions related to innovation and entrepreneurship. They have consistently clinched awards such as the National Challenge Cup Third Prize, the National Cross-border E-commerce Competition National Special Award, the National First Prize in Economics Game Theory Competition, and provincial accolades in the National College Student Mathematical Modeling Competition.