How universities can nurture creativity for graduate employability

Higher education is not immune to the sum of pressures on the job market, and graduate employability takes a central role for universities’ stakeholders. The economic downturn caused by the global financial crisis, the impact of new technologies that changed the workforce demand and the debate on the skills gap require universities to explore new solutions. Finding practical ways to foster creativity and innovation in higher education is now a key challenge, and this paper argues that this can give graduates the set of skills required in the new contexts opened by the knowledge society. This endeavor calls for a rethinking of university governance policies that are influencing the culture and academic life in higher education across the OECD area. This critical investigation aims to find new directions to nurture a culture of creativity and innovation in higher education.