What is the Future Skills Lab?
The Future Skills Lab is a project that supports students in navigating the rapidly evolving film and creative industries. It is aimed particularly at international students and first-generation students—those who are the first in their families to attend university—who often face additional challenges such as limited professional networks, financial pressure, or bureaucratic hurdles. Through mentoring, workshops, meetups, and practice-oriented learning opportunities, the project helps participants develop the skills they need to succeed during their studies and in their future careers.
More broadly, the term Future Skills Lab refers to a space—both literal and conceptual—where future-oriented skills are developed. Future skills are the competencies that prepare people for the changing world of work by combining practical expertise with adaptability, collaboration, and critical thinking. The lab approach emphasizes hands-on learning, peer exchange, and the application of knowledge in real-world contexts. In this sense, the Future Skills Lab is more than just a project—it is a supportive environment that empowers students to shape their own professional paths with confidence.
What Are Future Skills?
Future skills are the competencies that are becoming increasingly important in tomorrow's working world, including:
- Adaptability
- Digital literacy (including AI and IT skills)
- Critical thinking
- Communication skills
- Intercultural competence
- The ability to navigate uncertainty
The Future Skills Lab is a collaborative initiative of the Film University Summer School, the International Office, and the Startup Center at Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF. The project is funded by the European Union and the State of Brandenburg.