Ep. 41 The View Without the Climb: Skills in the Age of AI with Ciarán Dunne

What should universities teach when information is abundant, AI can produce polished work in seconds, and graduates are entering an increasingly uncertain world? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Ciarán Dunne, Transversal Skills Director at Dublin City University, about DCU’s ambitious effort to formally integrate skills such as critical thinking, ethical decision making, creativity, collaboration, personal agility, and data literacy across university programs. Ciarán defines “transversal skills” and compares them to the familiar language of “soft skills.” He argues that developing these capabilities shouldn’t be confused with reducing higher education to job training, and why AI has made this work even more urgent. We also compare and contrast the higher education system in Ireland vs. California and the US more broadly.