Skills Are Not the Enemy

Skills are no longer seen as important and are almost ostracized these days, as if they were the problem and not the solution. In reality, skills are our only safety net in an increasingly complex world where (fortunately) technological progress and digital transformation cannot be stopped, despite the occasional Luddite complaint. The social risks that the current digital revolution in employment will cause in the short term should certainly be balanced with significant welfare policies and increased focus on education. We must stem the growth of inequality and learn from the mistakes made during the years of increasing globalization by avoiding to perpetuate its distortions.

But that does not mean progress should be stopped. It is due to progress that we currently live in a world that is improving according to virtually any kind of statistic: less war, fewer deaths, increasing average age and incredible innovations.

In a context that holds risks for everyone’s future, it is the task of higher education to provide Generation Z and the generations that follow with an increasingly well-supplied and multidisciplinary toolkit, and help them develop analytical and critical thinking skills.

To do so, we must collaborate, trusting and respecting those whose skills complement our own. This is what we at Bocconi have done, by signing a historical alliance with Politecnico di Milano. The new accord allows us to combine our expertise in the field of social sciences, legal sciences and data science with their expertise in engineering and computer science. The multidisciplinary critical mass we reach together will be used to educate cyber risk experts with clear vision of strategy and governance. We aim to improve the two university ecosystems by creating a single one that promotes innovative businesses developed within our communities.

The future must be faced together, and with more – not fewer – skills.