Two capabilities are rising to the top: AI literacy and entrepreneurial mindset
What the data is telling leaders
The skills conversation is noisy. What cuts through is scale and comparability. The QS World Future Skills Index draws on 280M job postings and 5M+ employer skill demands, alongside 5,000+ universities and 17.5M research publications, to track how workforce needs are evolving across regions and sectors.
So what does that mean in practice? Two capability clusters are showing up again and again in leadership priorities:
- AI literacy + judgement (how people use AI responsibly to improve decisions and productivity)
- Entrepreneurial thinking (innovation, agility, resilience, and the ability to act under uncertainty)
Global Skills Week is built to move those from abstract priorities into choices leaders can implement.
Spotlight: sessions you can build around
- Business education’s AI moment
Preparing Future Leaders: Embedding AI into Business Education
Thu 26 March | 11:00–11:30
How business schools are integrating AI across core curricula, building faculty capability, and aligning learning with employer needs.
Speakers: Ryan Hess (QS), Paul Pavlou (University of Miami), David Marchick (American University) - Founder mindset as a core competency
Thinking Like a Founder: Why the Entrepreneurial Mindset is the New Core Competency
Thu 26 March | 13:30–14:00
Why entrepreneurial thinking is becoming baseline across industries, and how institutions can cultivate it at scale.
Featuring: Nunzio Quacquarelli (QS), Sulin Ba (DePaul University), Elissa Sangster (Forté Foundation)
The four programme themes
- Future Skills Systems: What does a skills-first system look like when it’s measurable and trusted?
- Skills Partnerships for Growth: Which partnership models scale beyond pilots?
- Skills as the Global Currency: How do skills, credentials, and recognition travel across borders?
- Skills for Societal Impact: How do skills strategies translate into opportunity outcomes?
Global Skills Week 2026
March 25-26 | Convene Hamilton Square, Washington, D.C.
If you’re working on AI-ready learning, employability outcomes, talent pathways, or leadership capability, this is your peer group and your working room.
Looking forward to seeing you there.
Best wishes,
QS Team