Drawing on the pioneering experience of foreign language studies in cultivating talents for country and region studies and grounded in systems theory, this study integrates a bottom-up literature analysis and expert interviews with a top-down deductive analysis to construct a “concave-convex” competency model for talents in country and region studies. The model encompasses six core competencies — linguistic competence, intercultural competence, academic research competence, interdisciplinary competence, international communication competence, and policy advisory competence — which are further elaborated into 16 sub-competencies and 48 qualitative indicators. Meanwhile, the study reveals the dynamic relationships within the “concave-convex” competency model across different structural dimensions, thereby providing theoretical reference and practical guidance for the cultivation of postgraduate students in country and region studies.