The TSU is currently working on two research projects: 

  • Scoping review of transferable skills in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences  

There is an increasing emphasis on the place of transferable skills and/or competencies within a university context and within curriculum development in higher education. There is also a considerable body of research about the importance of such skills in the workplace. However, there is a need to capture the trajectory of this research, particularly as it applies to arts, humanities and social science disciplines.  

The objective of this scoping review is to systematically locate, explore and map how transferable/transversal skills are integrated into the disciplines of arts, humanities and social sciences.  The review will contribute to discussions about the relative roles of higher education institutions in skills as well as knowledge development. More specifically, the review will show how arts, humanities and social science disciplines can develop a more rigorous and robust approach to transferable skills curriculum development, delivery and research.  

This review focuses only on academic sources. A separate review to map public policy discussions on transferable skills will also be undertaken. 

  • Mapping and measuring the interaction of critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills  

Critical Thinking, Creativity and Problem Solving are among the most frequently cited transferable skills needed in the workplace. As economies have changed from traditional ways of working associated, there has been an increased emphasis on these skills (World Economic Forum 2025).    

However, there has been a tendency to look at these as individual skill areas and not to recognise the essential interaction between them. The objective of this research is to systematically locate, explore and map the interaction between these three skills in order to design a composite universal tool that can allow mastery of the skills to be quantitatively assessed.  

If you would like to work with us, contact transferableskills@ul.ie