Empowering the next generation
A RECENT landmark four-year study performed in the United States showed that young people, from the ages of 12 to 26, are struggling to find their purpose in life. Prof William Damon, the Stanford Centre on Adolescence director and the leader of the study, said: “A majority of young people are struggling to make the leap into adulthood, and educators, parents and communities should make a more concerted effort to help rudderless youths find a clear direction and overarching sense of purpose.”
While the study mentioned above was focused on the youth in the United States, there is evidence that the trend detected by it is global in nature, and that young people the world over are lacking a sense of purpose. This is cause for concern, as we have known for a long time that a life purpose is critical to keeping us happy, healthy, grounded and successful.
With the arrival of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where robots and artificial intelligence are increasingly able to replace many human tasks, having a clear sense of purpose is becoming even more important in order for us to remain productive and relevant.
As technology advances and evolves, there is a clear pattern of what it can and cannot do. Our technology is superior to us in the physical domain (it is faster, stronger and more precise) as well as in certain aspects of the cognitive domain such as being able to deal with huge sets of data or optimise complex systems. Where humans are superior to technology is in creativity, and the ability to be aware, empathetic and purposeful.
This realisation is very important. As technology advances towards its ultimate limits, it is teaching us more about ourselves, why we exist and what make us human through elucidating the skills and capabilities that only we can deliver.
All indicators point toward our ability to create (creativity) and our ability to be aware and relate to others (emotional intelligence) as being what ultimately defines us. The natural extension of this is how can we develop ourselves and our systems so that we:
* Become better at what is uniquely human, rather than competing with technology in areas where it is clearly superior; and
* Develop the capabilities and attitudes that enable us to use technology as a tool, rather than allowing it to enslave us.
Helping our youth be resilient, emotionally intelligent and happy will require taking a serious look at many of our establishments and institutions and transforming them to be fit for this new world. This includes regulatory and educational institutions. The choice is clear — we can either evolve and use technology to free us to achieve our higher purpose or, alternatively, we can allow technology to disrupt our job market, concentrate wealth in the hands of few and keep a growing population to compete for a shrinking job pool, a miserable and stressful choice.
Personally, I prefer the first option. To pursue it, we will need educational institutions that will not only focus on academic excellence but also on developing creative, happy and purposeful individuals. That is why at Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, we decided to start a purposeful and impact-based community.
We are encouraging every member of our community to develop an “Impact Statement” to describe how they would like to impact the world beyond themselves. Everyone on the leadership team of the university attended a two-day workshop aimed at drafting their Impact Statement. The same workshop is offered to all members of staff. Now, every student is required to develop an Impact Statement in the first year of study. This is hoped to be the basis of a lifelong journey of personal growth for our students and staff.
The draft of my Impact Statement is “I am passionate and purpose driven individual. My purpose is to inspire people to unlock their potential, be self-aware and tell empowering stories about themselves and the world we live in. I dedicate my life to supporting our youth be their best as they identify their impact, harness their talent and become purposeful individuals.” I stress that it is a draft, and all feedback and suggestions are welcome.
Imagine a world where everyone of us is clear of their purpose and impact and where people gravitate towards teams, groups and organisations based on a sense of common purpose. Academic institutions can and should be the starting point of this movement.
What better way is there to help our youth achieve their full potential and be fit for the future than by getting them to start their university life with their own Impact Statement.