Society needs critical thinkers

Professor Nada Kakabadse of Henley Business School has given a key presentation at the 8^th ASHESS Conference in Tirana, Albania, on the subject of ‘Human Development Dichotomy: Liberal vs Socialised Capital.'

ASHESS is an international scientific conference held annually to provide a platform for academics, researchers and policy-makers from a variety of backgrounds to present their papers and share valuable experiences, ideas and research results with each other.

Focusing on the question of ‘which model of development should society pursue?’ Professor Kakabadse examined the historically strong interrelationship between capital and state, while taking into account measures including GDP, income, health, education, well-being and quality of life.

Arriving at the conclusion that technology should be used as a tool for human empowerment, and that sustainable development needs to be a guiding principle for all European Commission policies, she added that education plays a critical role in determining social policy direction.

Professor Kakabadse’s ultimate recommendation for the future is that society needs to invest in developing people’s lifelong learning skills and capabilities; including creativity, problem solving, critical thinking and leadership.