Lifelong learning is not a #

In the latest episode of the podcast, Jowita Michalska discusses the need for continuous employee training, how quickly technological skills become obsolete, and the necessity of regulating professions associated with new technologies and AI.

The guest of this episode of “Po pierwsze, umiejętności. Podcast o tym, jak być na czasie” (Skills Come First. The Podcast About How to Stay Current) is Jowita Michalska, Founder and CEO of Digital University, Digital European Union Ambassador, and Singularity Group Warsaw Chapter Ambassador.

AI in Poland – embraced privately, but not yet in business

Jowita Michalska sees her mission as “equipping Poles with the essential digital skills”. New technologies have rapidly moved beyond the domain of a small group of experts and become an integral part of everyday life, shaping the way we work, learn and communicate.

“Around one billion people worldwide are already using AI. During my lectures, I ask participants in Poland how many of them use artificial intelligence. The answer is never less than 90 percent,” says Jowita Michalska, illustrating just how deeply new technologies have become embedded in our daily lives.

The picture is very different in the business world. As the podcast guest points out, according to Eurostat data, Poland ranks second to last in Europe in the adoption of artificial intelligence by companies. Only 5.9 percent of organisations in the country declare they have integrated AI into their operations and actively use it.

“I believe this is because we simply do not invest enough in education,” says Jowita Michalska, and continues:

“Education is still treated as something that employees do on the side, away from their day-to-day work. Today, organisations should view employee learning as a strategic part of the business. Lifelong learning is not a hashtag.”

This is particularly important because the skills required in today’s workplace can no longer be considered permanent. Technological and organisational change means that competences become outdated at an increasingly rapid pace. As a result, it is no longer enough simply to acquire new skills; they must also be continually updated to meet the changing needs of the labour market.

“Technical skills have a lifespan of around two and a half years, while soft skills typically remain relevant for around five years,” comments Jowita Michalska.

Effective lifelong learning

“Lifelong learning is not a hashtag” is one of the podcast guest’s favourite sayings. It is intended to encourage employers to make learning a core element of their business strategy and to remind working professionals that learning should never stop.

“It’s also important to adapt your learning methods to your age and personal circumstances. I can no longer learn the way I did at university (by quickly memorising information). Instead, I encourage people to follow the approach I use myself: dedicate 30 minutes to learning three times a week, in addition to whatever learning takes place as part of your job,” says Jowita Michalska.

Microcredentials can help regulate the AI education market

Any conversation about education and emerging technologies inevitably raises concerns and uncertainty. However, according to the expert, fear of new technologies and AI should not prevent people from engaging with them. In today’s world, avoiding them is not an option.

“We are already living in a world of algorithmic management, whether we realise it or not. When it comes to new technologies, ‘fear’ is the wrong word – what we need is knowledge and understanding,” emphasises Jowita Michalska.

She also believes that the market for AI education, as well as professions linked to emerging technologies, needs clearer regulation. These are relatively new fields that are often difficult for both employers and employees to define and understand. Microcredentials could play an important role in addressing this challenge, and not only that.

“Before long, microcredentials listed on a CV may well make candidates more likely to be selected by AI-powered recruitment tools,” remarks Jowita Michalska.

Watch the full episode of the podcast!

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Career, development, and mental health

Professional and personal burnout, growth both inside and outside the workplace, and ways to care for your mental health – these were among the key topics discussed in the latest podcast episode, featuring Dr Ewa Woydyłło as our guest.

Dr Ewa Woydyłło – psychologist, addiction therapist, and author of numerous books, including “Wybieram wolność, czyli rzecz o wyzwalaniu się z uzależnień” (I Choose Freedom: On Liberating Oneself from Addictions), “Rak duszy” (Cancer of the Soul) and “Poprawka z matury” (Retaking the Matura Exam) – is the guest of the latest episode of the podcast “Po pierwsze, umiejętności. Podcast o tym, jak być na czasie” (Skills Come First. The Podcast About How to Stay Current).

Professional and personal burnout

These days, much has been said about the detrimental effects of neglecting mental hygiene. In the pursuit of career success, many people ignore their own emotions and fail to maintain a healthy work-life balance. As a result, burnout is becoming increasingly common.

“Burnout is fatigue, or rather, extreme exhaustion. And it applies not only to work but to life in general. Someone who runs a household, looks after children, and carries many responsibilities can also experience burnout, and it happens very frequently. I call it personal burnout,” explains Dr Ewa Woydyłło.

We speak of burnout when the balance between satisfaction and joy on one side, and effort on the other, is disrupted. How can we recognise its symptoms?

“Burnout differs from ordinary fatigue because, with the latter, a good rest and sleep bring improvement. In the case of burnout, however, short-term rest does not make us feel any less exhausted,” explains the guest of the podcast.

It is also crucial whether we feel satisfied with our work or lifestyle. Frequent causes of burnout also include frustration, feeling misunderstood, and top-down challenges that turn out to be obstacles too overwhelming to overcome. Often, one’s attitude towards work stems from their individual value system, making it a highly personal matter.

How to deal with burnout

How we cope with burnout is equally personal. According to Dr Woydyłło, it is necessary to examine each case individually to see what needs to be and what actually can be changed.

“Sometimes you can alter the workload, while other times changing your career profile, such as your profession or role, proves more effective. It’s worth noting that over time, we don’t just change as people, the things that bring us fulfilment change too. Over time, it may turn out that a job we started as young people with a sense of mission no longer satisfies us. As we get older, income level or promotion opportunities might matter more to us, and achieving this in a given profession may be impossible – or the sheer joy of a dream job simply turns out to be less than we expected,” emphasises Dr Woydyłło.

Therefore, making a change can be a lifesaver – though we have to acknowledge that not everyone is in a position to do so at any given moment. 

However, change can also be forced upon us by civilisational and technological progress. We live in an era of rapid development, and very few people stick to one profession or a single workplace throughout their entire lives. Graduating from university no longer guarantees working in that field until retirement. Constantly upgrading our skills is essential – and microcredentials are the perfect way to validate that growth.

Watch the full podcast episode to learn more!

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Time for microcredentials in schools

In the latest episode of the podcast, Marcin Szala discusses the difference between learning and simply attending school, why grades alone are not enough, and how microcredentials can support both students and teachers.

Marcin Szala, co-founder and headteacher of Liceum Artes Liberales in Warsaw, is the latest guest on the podcast  “Po pierwsze, umiejętności. Podcast o tym, jak być na czasie” (Skills Come First. The Podcast About How to Stay Current). 

Going to school and learning are two different things 

Learning accompanies us from the very beginning of our lives and does not end when we leave school or university. Lifelong learning is more than just a slogan – it is a daily reality, from our first attempts at walking and writing, through learning to read, play an instrument or do basic arithmetic, to developing new skills throughout adulthood.

“Learning and going to school are two different things. The desire to explore and learn is natural to human beings. It is not always the same as attending school. We need to ask what happens to a person during those few years between desperately wanting to learn how to walk, for example, and waking up one day and saying: ‘I don’t want to go to school today,’” Marcin Szala points out.

Microcredentials in schools – how can they help?

One of the key challenges facing modern schools is maintaining children’s natural curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, so that it does not disappear once they become pupils and begin to associate learning solely with the school system. To achieve this, schools need to understand the realities in which young people live today and the factors that genuinely motivate them.

“Today’s students are not afraid of teachers. They are afraid of one another, of social pressure, of how they will be judged, and of what might be posted on social media. They feel they are constantly being watched and assessed. At the same time, they live in a world saturated with stimuli. A school that tries to compete with Netflix is bound to lose. That is why a modern school must completely rethink the role of students – they cannot be recipients, they must actively participate in the learning process and be genuinely engaged,” argues Marcin Szala.

At Liceum Artes Liberales, these observations led to the development of an original assessment system designed to engage students more deeply in learning. An important element of this system is the use of microcredentials.

“The prefix ‘micro’ in microcredentials shows that they can be agile and created quickly. We do not know what people will be learning five years from now, and microcredentials help us keep pace with a changing world,” says Marcin Szala.

The purpose of education – is to meet another human being

The headteacher of Liceum Artes Liberales believes that the ongoing debate within the education sector over the prescribed reading list is largely pointless. In his view, focusing on which literary works should be included distracts us from a more fundamental question: why do we read in the first place?

“We read to understand another person. The same applies to education. For me, its purpose is to encounter another human being,” Marcin Szala emphasises.

In his opinion, this makes the role of the teacher even more important. Students should meet people at school who serve as genuine role models, “the very best examples of what human beings can be”.

Watch the full podcast episode!

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Higher education will prevail?

Is the era of higher education coming to its end? Will alternative ways of certifying skills, such as microcredentials, replace or perhaps complement traditional university degrees? These are among the questions explored by podcast host Łukasz Grass and his guest, Professor Grzegorz Mazurek.

Professor Grzegorz Mazurek – the Rector of Kozminski University, educational worker at the University Department of Marketing, Director of The Research Centre for the Digital Transformation of Economy and Society (CYBERMAN) – joins the latest episode of the podcast. 

Demand for higher education is not slowing down

Is the era of higher education over? Are those who claim they don’t need a degree to build a career right? Will microcredentials replace university studies?

“If we view a university as a hard-to-access institution offering a fixed, non-negotiable set of values, where one follows a pre-set curriculum and leaves with a diploma, then yes – we could talk about the end of that era. But that is just one outdated model of studying that will soon disappear. I see universities quite differently: as a space for broad development, where gaining knowledge is just one part of the wider value of the university experience,” says Professor Grzegorz Mazurek.

According to the Rector of Kozminski University, those universities that take a broad view of student development need not worry about their future. The condition, however, is adapting study formats to modern requirements. As the expert notes, the demand for education is enormous and continues to grow. This demand can be met by leading universities that not only offer traditional forms of education but also expand their offerings with, among other things, microcredentials.

“I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that microcredentials might, to some extent, replace traditional Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees,” remarks Professor Grzegorz Mazurek.

Microcredentials can also complement these degrees, forming an essential part of a well-tailored higher education, one that is based less on pursuing a single, predefined field of study, but more on selecting the courses and subjects that are most relevant and valuable to an individual. 

Real education is about relationships

As part of degree programmes, microcredentials respond to the needs of a wide range of learners, both younger and older. However, they won’t completely replace higher education because its true meaning isn’t solely about gaining specific competences or expanding knowledge.

“About 50% of the value of university life comes from interactions, whether with fellow students or lecturers. Development isn’t just about picking up one specific skill in a given field. The most important skill for the future is critical thinking, which you can’t learn from an online course. For that, you need contact with others, discussions, and the clashing of different viewpoints,” emphasises Professor Grzegorz Mazurek.

The Rector of Kozminski University believes that a university is essentially a hub where a person – not necessarily a young one, as you can become a student at any age – can truly grow.

“The point is not simply to complete a specific degree programme. Real education is about relationships,” notes Professor Grzegorz Mazurek.

Watch the full podcast episode to find out more!

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Microcredentials are the future of education

How do we build a knowledge-based society? How will humanity cope with the “new species” that is Artificial Intelligence? And where can we find an end to the existential crises born from the awareness of our own mortality? These are the themes explored by Dr Maciej Kawecki and the podcast’s host, Łukasz Grass.

In this episode of the podcast, Łukasz Grass talks with Maciej Kawecki – President of the Lem Institute, Director of the Innovation Centre at WSB Merito University in Warsaw, science journalist, and one of Poland’s most prominent science popularisers.

Mission: A knowledge-based society

In an era of constant information overload, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between knowledge and opinion. With the decline of traditional authority figures, we find ourselves in need of content that is verifiable and dependable. Science, despite the tensions and oversimplifications it sometimes faces, remains one of the few fields still rooted in facts, methodology, and linguistic accountability. However, the condition for its success is the ability to speak a language people understand and a willingness to engage in dialogue.

“We are living through a crisis of authority. We need objective content to ground our knowledge. Science is the most objective source we have,” says Maciej Kawecki.

This is particularly vital at a time when public trust in almost any source of knowledge is at an all-time low.

Microcredentials: the future of education

The way we learn and develop skills is changing. It is no longer a strictly formal, one-size-fits-all process; instead, it happens alongside professional and life challenges. In this context, microcredentials are becoming a tool to organise skills: they are flexible, concise, and more practical than traditional degrees. They don’t replace higher education, but they do complement it, keeping pace with the speed of technological change and the job market. According to the expert, microcredentials are the future of education.

“The era of higher education is ending. To build a career, you no longer need a degree; you need talent and the ability to master it. That’s how Silicon Valley has operated for a long time. Half of my team haven’t finished university, yet they are brilliant young people,” Dr Maciej Kawecki emphasises.

Growth and its darker side

Continuous learning and the expansion of knowledge come at a price. The more aware we become, the more frequently we find ourselves questioning meaning, boundaries, and balance. Personal growth that leaves no room for error, rest, or vulnerability can easily lead to burnout. This is why mental hygiene, relationships, contact with nature and approaching psychological support as a natural part of maintaining mental wellness become meaningful topics of our conversations. 

“You cannot build a business or technology without making mistakes. The pressure for perfection suppresses the ability to act, so we shouldn’t place such an enormous burden on ourselves,” Dr Kawecki advises.

AI: A new context for education

The development of Artificial Intelligence is one of the most critical benchmarks for the future. It isn’t just changing how we work; it’s changing how we define human intelligence and knowledge. The pace of this shift is unprecedented, requiring education to provide more than just technical tools or competencies. It is becoming increasingly important to learn how to navigate a world where uncertainty is a permanent fixture of everyday life.

“For the first time, we as humanity are dealing with something that could be called a new species. We are only just beginning to define our relationship with it,” observes Maciej Kawecki.

To learn more about AI as a “new species” and the human dilemmas that follow, watch the full podcast episode! 

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Microcredentials in a modern CV

What skills are needed in today’s world? How can microcredentials enable employers to gain better insights into job applicants, and help candidates and employees present their abilities that already hold greater value in the labour market than a university degree? These are among the questions addressed by the guest of the latest podcast episode, Joanna Malinowska-Parzydło.

How recruitment processes are changing in Poland

For years, Joanna Malinowska-Parzydło, author of “Jesteś marką. Jak odnieść sukces i pozostać sobą” (You are a brand: How to succeed and stay true to yourself) and creator of the premium personal branding concept, has consistently explored the labour market from a perspective that brings together HR insights with reflections on responsibility and the maturity of professional relationships.

In her view, change does not mean a complete break from past standards, but rather a shift in emphasis: towards the quality of one’s attitude rather than formal qualifications, and towards the responsibility of leaders rather than expectations placed on employees.

“Over the past dozen or so years, both much and little has changed. Little, because the best leaders are still simply looking for professional and decent people. There remains a strong need for individuals who are polite, eloquent in Polish, and ethical. What has changed, however, is that today it is managers who must earn employees’ loyalty. From the perspective of both employers and employees, the importance of formal education has declined – university studies are no longer the most important factor,” points out Joanna Malinowska-Parzydło.

As the expert emphasises, for around a decade, the best recruiters on the market have clearly prioritised practice over theory. In other words, the concrete skills candidates possess, especially the ability to apply knowledge in practice, matter more than a university diploma. This is precisely why microcredentials have been rapidly gaining importance in recruitment processes worldwide.

A new generation in the labour market – challenges for recruiters

Shifts in the labour market, driven by a generation with a markedly different approach to education and employment, are posing challenges for both recruiters and leaders. Long-established habits and models of treating employees must now be re-examined.

“I remember a conversation with an operations director a few years ago. He came to tell me that his assistant had resigned. It turned out she had no intention of ‘sleeping on a makeshift mattress for the sake of the company’. That was a sign of change and a warning signal for leaders to rethink how they approach employees and organise working conditions. The new generation will no longer be willing to sit in the office from morning until night – work is not their whole life,” stresses Joanna Malinowska-Parzydło.

According to the expert, adapting to candidates’ expectations is essential because today the most important component of company strategies is, in fact, people and organisational culture.

“Any other company can purchase access to the same tools and create products similar to ours. We compete through employee engagement, organisational culture, and their broad experience,”

notes Joanna Malinowska-Parzydło, also highlighting how crucial it is for leaders to motivate employees in non-financial ways, based on recognising their individual needs and values:

“I have often told leaders: ‘Go and ask the employee what matters to them.’ It’s about values. If an employee says family is most important, motivating factors should include benefits that help them support or provide opportunities for their children. If they say development is key, they should be sent on training courses. Wise leaders will increasingly look for people who know what motivates them.”

A CV for our times

However, change in the labour market is not only about new expectations for leaders and recruiters. Candidates must also approach the creation of their CVs in a completely different way. Existing habits or templates found online do not allow candidates to include what truly matters in recruitment today, which is a description of their talents.

“What has not changed is that experience is still valued. Young people should start applying their knowledge in practice as soon as possible – this is where microcredentials can play a role by confirming it”,

observes Joanna Malinowska-Parzydło, and adds: 

“It is vital that young people have frequent opportunities to practise their social skills, as this is an area where the new generation in the labour market often faces challenges. It is also worth developing hobbies, because what we are interested in and how we pursue it can say a lot about us to a recruiter. Digital competences must not be overlooked either.”

The expert also believes that a key competence for employees today is self-awareness.

Watch the full podcast episode! 

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Competences in the era of clickbait and fake news

Łukasz Grass and his guest, Artur Kurasiński, discuss how to cope with the side effects of living in a digital world, what competences we need to do so, and why it is so important to confirm them through microcredentials.

The guest on another episode of the podcast is Artur Kurasiński – entrepreneur, investor, author of the book “STARTUPOWCY. Jak polskie start-upy podbijają świat” (STARTUPPERS. How Polish Start-ups Are Conquering the World), as well as the creator of the blog kurasinski.com and the “Technofobia” podcast.

AI – the pace of change beyond our control

The pace of transformation in today’s world raises concerns, particularly in the context of the rapid development of artificial intelligence and AI-based tools. Increasingly, the question is whether we can keep up with this process and maintain any control over it.

“Our level of knowledge about generative artificial intelligence is constantly changing. These days, there is practically a breakthrough every week,” argues Artur Kurasiński.

What until recently existed only as visions of the future is now becoming reality – or soon will be.

“In theory, we still understand and can fairly clearly describe how artificial intelligence works. For instance, we are still able to explain why such systems hallucinate. But at this stage we must also admit that we do not know where the development of AI may ultimately lead,” emphasises Artur Kurasiński.

The digital world – how to find our way in it

So how can we navigate a world dominated by new technologies and increasingly dependent on artificial-intelligence tools – especially when the way they operate and their potential directions of development are becoming less and less clear and predictable?

“We are flooded with such a vast amount of information of all kinds that we are simply unable to process it all and inevitably treat it selectively. For this reason, the essential approach for all users of digital solutions is to remain cautious and keep a critical distance from every piece of information. We must develop the habit of verifying it. If someone believes that everything written on the internet is true, they will quickly feel the consequences. The same applies to AI,” says Artur Kurasiński.

The way we function in the digital sphere is best illustrated by the scale of the impact of social media. Even those who deliberately avoid using them cannot be entirely sure that they remain beyond the reach of their owners’ influence or control mechanisms.

“More than 50 percent of Poles use social media as a source of information. Even those who try to stay outside this world, for instance by deleting their Facebook account, are still monitored by its owners, because Facebook today also incorporates WhatsApp and Instagram. It is impossible to opt out of it completely. That is why the most important thing is to learn how to use these media wisely, or to rely on authorities attempting to regulate them, as the European Union is doing,” notes Artur Kurasiński. 

One of the challenges in learning to use new technologies effectively is the constant evolution of AI tools, capabilities and solutions.

“One possible approach is to maintain a state of constant scepticism; we cannot use any tool, whether artificial intelligence or social media, uncritically. Top-down solutions are also necessary, above all, well-designed education. The foundation should be teaching critical thinking and the ability to verify information,” emphasises Artur Kurasiński.

Microcredentials and the skills of the future

In a time of declining authorities, an overflow of fake news and the unavoidable hallucinations of AI tools, we ourselves must be capable of assessing the reliability of data and deciding what is true. If we cannot search for information in the right sources and do not develop the habit of verifying everything we encounter – both in the digital world and beyond – it will be easy to lose our way in the new reality.

This is why a healthy scepticism, combined with the ability to verify information independently, is becoming so valuable today. Since these abilities, classified as future competences, are and will remain crucial in dealing with the challenges of modern life, they will also be essential on the labour market. It will therefore be necessary to confirm them through modern digital tools such as microcredentials and digital badges.

Watch the full podcast episode to learn more about this topic!

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AI won’t do everything for us

On how to keep up with the pace of change in the world of new technologies, the future of education and universities, new ways of imparting knowledge, and validating acquired skills, the host of the podcast, Łukasz Grass, spoke with his guest, Aleksandra Przegalińska.

The guest of this episode is Dr Aleksandra Przegalińska, philosopher, columnist, AI expert, Vice-Rector for Innovations and AI at the Leon Koźmiński Academy, and co-creator of CampusAI.

AI – how to keep up with the pace of change?

According to the guest of the IBE PIB podcast, in order to stay current with the changes that happen in new technologies and artificial intelligence, one would need to update their knowledge on a weekly basis. 

“The AI revolution has been going on for about two and a half years. We’re at an interesting point; there are lots of solutions, and we’ve already started getting used to some of them. Research shows that for people entering the job market now, or those who have recently started their first job, using these tools has become second nature. You could say that AI has become a mainstream technology,” explains Aleksandra Przegalińska.

But that’s only one side of the change. Rapid AI development does not automatically come with the ability to use it effectively, particularly in business. Security concerns are mounting.

“The main challenges related to AI development are now becoming increasingly evident – geopolitical issues, such as countries using AI to gain an advantage, and the doubts that entrepreneurs have about whether AI tools actually deliver profits. The latter is essentially about evaluating the return on investment in AI,” explains Przegalińska. 

Microcredentials and changes in higher education

When it comes to AI and security, Łukasz Grass and his guest noted that although legal regulations exist, they are, and will remain, insufficient. They are unlikely to ever fully control those who are exploiting AI for political ends.

“Education remains the solution. It is never sufficient on its own, but in the absence of comprehensive top-down regulation, it’s essential to teach the responsibility for the models we work with. We cannot stop checking what we ask AI tools to do, which means we cannot stop being good at what they replace us in,” notes Aleksandra Przegalińska.

Przegalińska emphasises that when we delegate some tasks to AI, we should use the saved time to exercise skills such as critical thinking, fact-checking, and creativity. These skills will be essential not just for using AI tools, but also in the workplace.

“We should never stop doing even simple tasks ourselves. Research shows that the human mind quickly grows lazy and, after a while, loses the ability to do what it once specialised in,” advises Przegalińska.

Equally important is the validation of skills, such as critical thinking. Microcredentials can clearly fill the gap here. They are tools that provide additional insight into a candidate, highlighting soft skills and other abilities not reflected on a university diploma.

Will AI take our jobs?

AI development is driving significant changes in the labour market. Some are positive – tools can speed up many processes. Yet many people worry that AI will soon simply take their jobs. According to the expert, we can be certain that some professions will disappear in the future, but for the same reason, many new ones will emerge.

“We already have plenty of evidence that, at some point, programming will no longer be done by humans. In many companies, programmers are already more like supervisors of AI systems. I also expect major changes in creative professions, especially advertising, as well as in translation. A large part of this work will be taken over by AI,” explains Przegalińska, and adds:

“It’s worth noting that AI will not completely replace humans; there are few jobs where we will no longer be needed at all. Most roles will involve AI supporting us in certain areas.”

To learn more about the necessary changes in education driven by AI, and how microcredentials can help implement them, watch the full podcast and the next episodes in the series!

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Microcredentials to certify the skills of the future

What is the state of contemporary humans, immersed in new technologies and struggling with digital distractions? How can we fight it? Can literature help restore our focus? These, along with other topics, were discussed by Łukasz Grass and Tomasz Stawiszyński.

The guest of the first episode of the podcast by the Educational Research Institute – National Research Institute was Tomasz Stawiszyński, philosopher, columnist and essayist, author of numerous books, including “Potyczki z Freudem. Mity, pokusy i pułapki psychoterapii” (Sparring with Freud: Myths, Temptations and Pitfalls of Psychotherapy), “Co robić przed końcem świata” (What to Do Before the End of the World) and “Ucieczka od bezradności” (Escape from Helplessness). 

The saving power of literature

“One cannot deny that reflection is not particularly prized these days,” writes Tomasz Stawiszyński in his book “Ucieczka od bezradności”. Yet in a world of instant entertainment, effortless access to information and virtually unlimited choice, it is still possible to remain a person capable of deeper thought. One of the remedies is reading.

“I find it hugely encouraging that at the book fairs I attend, there are crowds of teenagers, mostly girls, waiting in line to get a dedication from their favourite author of young adult fiction. This group shows an impressively strong engagement with reading. These books may not be literary masterpieces, but they often mark a first step into the world of literature,” says the author of “Ucieczka od bezradności.”

Engaging with literature is immensely valuable on many levels. Research confirms the positive impact of so-called ‘deep reading’ on our brains. Reading is the equivalent of a daily workout for the body. But that is not all.

“Literature develops us culturally and psychologically, opening us up to other people. It teaches us how to understand them, how to engage with them more deeply, and helps us develop mentalisation, the ability to recognise the subjectivity of other people. Literature is the only way we know to look inside someone else’s mind,” explains Stawiszyński.

Digital distraction and how to fight it

A growing problem today is the inability to concentrate, a skill required, for example, for reading. Tomasz Stawiszyński believes that this problem can be partly solved by using the same tools that often distract us to train our focus. How is that possible?

“Using new media to deliver content that is educational and requires concentration is a good idea. At the same time, it’s essential to place certain limits on, for example, social media,” he argues.

According to Stawiszyński, another way of addressing both digital distraction and low literacy levels in Poland, especially among young people, is to update the methods of teaching Polish literature in schools.

“One method of cultivating a love for literature is to encourage students to read texts that are truly interesting to them and make them completely engaged with the story. A significant portion of the current school reading canon often has the opposite effect. It’s not about removing the classics from the curriculum, but about finding ways to present them engagingly and appealingly,” argues Stawiszyński. 

Microcredentials and the skills of the future

As more and more people struggle with focus and reading comprehension, and, as a result of these, with drawing conclusions, in-depth reflection, and constructing coherent arguments, these skills are becoming invaluable. They are increasingly recognised as so-called “skills of the future,” essential for thriving in a fast-changing educational and professional environment.

Microcredentials can offer a flexible and precise way to validate specific skills, such as reading comprehension or critical thinking. Unlike traditional diplomas, microcredentials can document the development of individual, highly specific competencies – including soft skills.

Listen to the full episode now!

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