Humanism and innovation in the global world: challenges for universities and the transformation of the labour market

Nowadays, the challenges (and opportunities) brought by digitalization are creating new research and innovation paradigms, showing the extent to which interconnections between science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines are crucial to develop sustainable human-centred solutions (Schildermans, 2022). Digitalization is becoming a subject of interest across heterogeneous, but complementary fields of knowledge. Humanism, as a philosophical and ethical standpoint, has been instrumental in shaping the understanding of the value of human beings and their potential. It emphasizes the importance of individual autonomy, critical thinking, and the pursuit of knowledge. Indeed, in the context of a complex and highly interconnected world, humanism continues to serve as a compass, guiding the implementation of information and communication technologies (ICT) and artificial intelligence (AI) advancements.