BY Michela Gritti
The Office of Global Engagement (OGE) celebrated International Education Week (IEW) on Thursday, Nov. 20, by hosting psychology lecturer Dr. Daniel Cape for his presentation, “Creativity Around the World.” Addressing students in room 251, Dr. Cape delivered a powerful message: “Creativity is one of the most important skills in the future,” while attendees enjoyed Slim Chickens brownies provided by the Psychology Department.
Dr. Cape defined creativity not as an art form, but as “coming up with alternative solutions.” He emphasized Everyday Creativity, the use of ingenuity to solve daily problems. This point was immediately demonstrated with an activity where attendees had just 30 seconds to create a person using a pipe cleaner.
The single most important concept in creative thinking, Dr. Cape explained, is divergent thinking—the ability to find “more than one way to solve a problem.” He offered several hints to cultivate this skill. First, change your language: using the word “might” instead of “should” opens the door to more possibilities, because “might allows more creativity in it.”
Second, he suggested that combining ideas—especially “absurd and unrelated ideas”—often leads to the most creative outcomes. Dr. Cape contrasted this approach with what he called “Mc education,” or traditional learning focused only on remembering and regurgitating information for a test. He noted that education systems in countries like Finland and Singapore prioritize teaching students to think creatively, proving that creativity is a skill that can be taught.
The lecture by Dr. Cape was the final event in another great day of programming hosted by the OGE for International Education Week. Earlier that day, the Graduate Admissions Virtual Webinar was held from 12 to 1 p.m., providing an overview of graduate programs and the student experience for F and J student visa holders. Following this, a Faculty Led Study Abroad Information Session was offered from 1 to 2 p.m. via Zoom, providing guidance for faculty and staff interested in developing study abroad courses.
Dr. Cape’s final message encouraged students to stop seeing life only “as it is,” and instead, embrace the creative possibilities of what it might be.