Developing the Learning of Critical Thinking in Higher Education

Critical thinking is universally considered a higher education aim. Educators worldwide, therefore, strive to improve their students’ ability to think critically by strengthening those curricular components that allow for the acquisition of the respective skills. A critical thinking mindset, however, is not only of the essence in higher education due to its strong correlation with academic achievement; it is also viewed as a crucial factor for fostering public discourse, democracy, citizenship and the awareness of global challenges. Last but not least, employers certainly look for graduates’ qualifications and their specific technical skills when recruiting, but they also highly value generic skills that come with a critical thinking mindset and are required in all intelligent teamwork and leadership.

Nagwa Ismail is an alumna of AUC (BA and MA in Economics, 1982, 1987) and worked over 25 years in the United Nations on development projects. Her experience with a diversity of UN-agencies, donors, ministries, stakeholders and beneficiaries provided her with crucial insights into the problem of youth employment and the skills requisite to join labour markets. Convinced that the root causes of unemployment in Egypt are to be found in the higher education and school systems, after her retirment Dr. Ismail pursued an Educational Doctorate to identify solutions to the challenges in the higher education system in Egypt and to contribute to change by introducing new perspectives on the concept of critical thinking.

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