EASYUNI Ultimate University Guide 2013 Issue 4 | Page 46

7

Skills Students
Need To Succeed
In Their Future

Some time ago, Dr Tony Wagner, co-director of Harvard’s
Change Leadership Group, made a video where he
presented a topic on “global achievement gap” where he
outlined the seven most important skills students need to
become successful. He delivered a powerful message:“that
colleges tend to short-change even the most capable
students – Advanced Placements as well as honour students
– because they have been engaged in the widespread
curriculum of ‘taking tests’ and ‘passing exams’ making
students not able to think, reason, analyse”.
Those seven skills are as follows:

1. Critical Thinking
and Problem-solving

To maintain competitiveness and relevance,
businesses are pressured to focus on the
continuous improvement of products
and processes and how to keep serving
customers. Toyota, for instance, expects
that its employees will always commit to the
three responsibilities: (1) to produce only
the best quality products, (2) to find ways
to create better products, and (3) to use
their knowledge to produce “the cars of the
future”. As students, you too need to have
the right thinking skills to solve problems
you will encounter in your careers.

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easyuni Guide 2014

Issue 4

2. Collaboration and
Leading with Influence
e

We live in a globalised world, where
national boundaries are loosening in
terms of commerce. When our students
eventually find themselves working,
it is almost guaranteed that they will
be working as part of a team. Most
business’ teams have no hierarchy, and
with this comes the need of being able
to lead by influence. In the 21st century,
the most effective way to lead is through
one’s ability to engage people and raise
the right questions. To do this in a global
setting, our students need to be able to
respect and understand each person’s
individual differences.