The development of higher modern education exerts a profound and multifaceted influence on people's lives and society. This paper investigates the impact of higher modern education on industrial development; with Jingdezhen whose pillar industry is ceramics as the research case. It analyzes how higher modern education institutions contribute to the transformation and sustainable growth of the Jingdezhen ceramic industry through talent cultivation, technological innovation, cultural heritage and innovation and industrial integration, which is closely aligned with SDG 4 (Quality Education). SDG 4 emphasizes inclusive, equitable quality, higher modern education, and skills for sustainable development. This study examines how higher modern education enhances talent, innovation, and industrial upgrading in Jingdezhen’s ceramic sector, demonstrating how high-quality education ，a core objective of SDG 4，drives sustainable cultural and economic development for traditional industries. This paper adopts a qualitative research design, which mainly combines literature review and semi-structured interview methods, with 15 respondents including 5 senior managers from local ceramic enterprises, 10 professors and associate professors specializing in ceramics from 5 local colleges and universities. The collected interview data are analyzed using Braun and Clarke (2006) qualitative thematic analysis. The research reveals the significant role of higher modern education in driving industrial innovation, cultural heritage, technological progress, and market expansion. The findings indicate that higher modern education promotes the technological upgrading of the ceramic industry through talent cultivation and achievement transformation, inherits and innovates ceramic culture via professional education and academic research and provides support for the sustainable development of the industry by optimizing the industrial chain and shaping core competitiveness. Finally, targeted suggestions are put forward to strengthening the integration of industry and education, so as to realize the mutual promotion and win-win development of higher modern education and the Jingdezhen ceramic industry.