Michèle Gerbrands

In the past decade, I focused on innovating the Dutch higher education landscape based on the belief that students need more than disciplinary knowledge to become the future problem solvers the world needs. Complex problems require adaptability, as a situation can change rapidly or unexpectedly. Creative thinking helps students remain flexible and adaptable in their approach.

Over the past 22 years, I’ve performed various roles in higher education – from a lecturer, developer, e-module designer and examiner to a project leader.

This was the driving force to introduce Challenge Based Learning. I designed and implemented challenges in different forms with a diverse group of profit and non-profit stakeholders. I’ve gained a deep understanding of which conditions will lead to successful multi-stakeholder collaborations. 

Creative thinking is a skill students can apply when solving or finding a solution for a complex problem and is the starting point of their learning process. Complex problems often require adaptability, as the situation can change rapidly or unexpectedly. Creative thinking helps students remain flexible and adaptable in their approach, allowing them to adjust strategies as needed.