Empowering Students Through Design Thinking: A Strategic Approach to Developing 21st-Century Skills in Higher Education

[EN] In alignment with the European Education Area's objectives, higher education must prepare students to navigate the complexities of a rapidly evolving, interconnected world. To develop these 21st-Century Skills, Design Thinking has emerged as a strategic approach to fostering sustainable and innovative solutions in higher education. It is a methodology centred on empathy, teamwork, and iterative ideation. An academic course in the summer semester of 2024 positioned Design Thinking at its core, equipping students with the tools to critically analyse macro, micro, and meso-level dynamics while fostering their ability to design impactful, solution-oriented innovations in vocational education and training. The article answers the question of how the use of the Design Thinking approach supports students in the development of crucial competences of the 21st century.