For good or bad, everyone has a view about students. What though, of views about universities – why do they exist; what should their purpose be? So what do you think a university should do, or be? Is its primary purpose to be a training ground for the workplace? Should universities aim to transform the self or to transfer knowledge – or a bit of both?
Chances are you’ll see universities as having a role to play in developing students’ skills. However, what are the key skills that a graduate should have? How important is it for graduates to be widely read; to question assumptions; to think critically or creatively; to argue logically and well; to be sceptical; to be able to themselves well in words and in writing? What exactly are ‘the skills for the 21st Century’?
