Arts and humanities scholars need to do a better job of proving to industry that studying the subjects gives students skills in critical thinking, a summit has heard.

Catalina Tejero, dean of the School of Humanities at IE University, said that humanities subjects need to be better at forming industry relations, as the changing jobs market?and the rise of artificial intelligence will require a greater need for ¡°critical thinking¡±.

¡°Are we really doing a good job in terms of trying to build those bridges with the job market out there with companies, with institutions, where we really show that this is the effect of a good arts and humanities education?¡± she told the ̽»¨ÊÓƵ?Europe Summit.

¡°Not everyone that is pursuing either an arts and humanities degree, or is taking other humanities content in other programmes, is going to end up in academia. Actually, most of them will not. There brings the question, are we ready [for them] to work in Deloitte? Are they ready to work in government?¡±

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She said the UK is more open to hiring humanities and arts students in a diverse range of career paths, but ¡°I¡¯m not sure in continental Europe we are as ready to think in that way¡±.?

In the World Economic Forum¡¯s annual Future Jobs report, analytical thinking was ranked the most important core skill by employers, she?added, with seven out of 10 companies considering it essential. Creative and critical thinking also ranked highly.?

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¡°But no one is questioning really what kind of disciplines help you train those skills,¡± Tejero said.

¡°Humanities are the thread that ties everything [together],¡± she added. ¡°There cannot be a better moment historically to put arts and humanities at the centre and to claim their rightful place and¡­to claim their usefulness. Do people recognise their usefulness? No. Are they useful? Extremely. So let¡¯s also advocate for that.¡±

Janet Stewart, executive dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Durham University, said that the role of creativity is often overlooked when talking about innovation.

She added that humanities should be more integrated into other subjects to create a more interdisciplinary, and empathetic, approach.

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¡°Creativity, in a sense, is a foundational skill. If we¡¯re going to deal with artificial intelligence effectively, we need to be able to use that tool creatively. If we¡¯re going to think about how we educate the medics of tomorrow effectively, we have to do that creatively.

¡°If we¡¯re going to think about how we teach empathy, [we need to do that] through using music, through using theatre, using film, using visual culture, and literature,¡± she said.

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com