Dr. Nils Roemer, Interim Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, presided over the school’s recent commencement ceremony, congratulating graduates on the completion of their degrees. He also spoke about the importance of creativity. Here is a small portion of his speech:
“Creativity is the foundation on which you have honed skills, refined techniques, and perfected your craft. Each of you has been called a “creative” at one time or another. Your skills will continue to be important to our societies as we live in what some call the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where creativity has become the primary determiner of economic value. As famous physician Edward de Bono once said, “There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.” As the economic landscape evolves, society understands they need those with critical thinking, communication, and cross-cultural understanding. Industries understand they cannot make or create creativity, and so they will look for you.”