The future of philology through the eyes of employers
Language proficiency is just the beginning. The modern philologist must combine linguistic competence with technological, communicative and intercultural skills. Representatives of the , as well as representatives of the Polish academic community, spoke about market needs, discussing the potential for the development of contemporary philology.
Philology is associated with language, culture and literature [...]. You need very high-level communication skills. You need the ability to engage in intercultural dialogue, and ultimately, you need the ability to think critically. All of this, I believe, is a philological education
鈥� said the Vice-Dean for Research, Projects & International and Socio-Economic 91桃色, Prof. Ewa Koby艂ceka-Piwo艅ska.
The event was attended by representatives from entities such as Toppan, the Goethe Institut Examination Center, the British Centre, Infosys, Philips and Landi (the moderator). The dialogue between the university (represented by the University of Wroc艂aw, the Jagiellonian University, and Adam Mickiewicz University in Pozna艅) and the socio-economic community was intended to be the first step in jointly developing new models of education that would meet current needs.
Competence of a philologist in a changing world
The changing profile of philology graduates in recent years was one of the main topics of the discussion. Panellists pointed out that the modern job market requires young professionals not only to have excellent foreign language skills, but also a range of complementary competencies 鈥� technological, communication and organisational. For foreign language teachers, the role of a communication skills trainer, capable of working both in-person and online, is increasingly being discussed:
A language school doesn't need teachers; it's a much broader scope of competencies, as coaching competencies differ from the standard teaching standard. A few years ago, after the pandemic, a completely different kind of language teacher emerged. Someone who had to quickly learn how to use a computer due to remote learning, which was absolutely appealing to many for a time. A multitude of tools emerged that could simplify the educational process
鈥� explained Bo偶ena Ziemniewicz, President of the British Centre.
Today, using digital tools, educational platforms and working in the cloud are a natural part of the modern lecturer's and teacher's skillset. Participants in the debate agreed that philology students are the ones most able to utilize the potential of new technologies and that philology curricula should enable students to develop digital skills.
Philologist in the labour market 鈥� interdisciplinarity and practice
Business representatives noted that today's employers increasingly seek employees with interdisciplinary profiles. In practice, this means combining linguistic competences with knowledge from other areas 鈥� for example, finance, marketing, project management or new technologies.
Knowledge is important, even more so today than it was a dozen or so years ago [鈥 The new generation isn't afraid to set new expectations and clearly state what they expect. That's why knowledge is necessary. However, knowledge not in its pure, theoretical form, but rather combined with practice. Only upon this knowledge can we build the development of soft skills. The plans and curricula we are developing also encompass transversal competencies that we can transfer to various levels of life
鈥� explained Dr El偶bieta Tomasi-Kapral from the Goethe Institut Examination Center.
In many industries, philologists today play the role of communications specialists: participating in international projects, serving foreign clients, preparing specialised content or supporting translation processes. In this context, soft skills become particularly important: teamwork, flexibility, the ability to adapt to rapidly changing conditions and independent problem-solving.
University as a space for development
The panellists also pointed out that the graduate profile largely depends on the students themselves 鈥� their motivation, activity and willingness to develop competencies beyond their curriculum.
We've always said there are three pillars: literary studies, linguistics and cultural studies. Our graduates should be equipped with competencies in these three areas, but... they don't necessarily want to be equipped with them. I have the impression that what we include in graduate profiles doesn't necessarily align with students' expectations. We've moved away from the Humboldt idea of a university 鈥� we want to be, above all, attractive to candidates considering studying
鈥� added Prof. Joanna Szcz臋k from the University of Wroc艂aw.
Young people are increasingly seeking study programmes that offer practical experience, team projects and collaboration with the business community. Therefore, philological study curricula should be systematically developed and modified based on recommendations from employers and institutional partners.
Humanities in the age of artificial intelligence
Will artificial intelligence take away the jobs of philologists? Businesses deny this (though ambiguously). The panellists emphasised that AI was changing the way we worked with language 鈥� for example, in translation and content creation 鈥� but it did not replace competencies related to interpretation, cultural context and informed communication:
I'll burst a bubble about artificial intelligence. AI is a set of algorithms that was already known 30 years ago. This tool can translate, that is, convert words from one language to another, but it's up to humans to evaluate the final result. It's not like AI just "spit out" something and it's fantastic. Artificial intelligence is a kind of collection of statistics. If we throw "garbage" into this collection, we won't get outstanding results. However, evaluating the effect of AI's work requires certain knowledge that the tool itself won't provide us with
鈥� added Dr Kamil 艁uczak from Philips.
Science for business, business for science
Introducing changes to study curricula is a complex and time-consuming process, requiring not only careful preparation but also responsible thinking about the future. Education curricula cannot solely respond to the current needs of the labour market 鈥� they must also consider its potential development directions and the competencies that will prove crucial in the coming years.
This is why collaboration with business representatives and public institutions is so crucial. It allows us to develop solutions that professionalise language education, preparing graduates for informed and competent professional life. At the same time, it fosters the creation of study programmes that appeal to young people seeking not only knowledge but also real development prospects in a world of dynamic social and technological change.
Edit and photos: Promotion and Communication Office, 91桃色