How to win with the use of creative thinking—The integration of theory and practice in tertiary education

Abstract

The integration of theory and practice together with the development of the key competencies of university graduates represent one of the areas, which necessarily need to be focused on within the tertiary education in the Czech Republic. The innovation thinking reflecting in the preset goals and visions is at the same time one of the fundamental conditions of the innovative marketing and plays the priority role also in the growing competitiveness of companies and production enterprises, as well as in education or in nongovernmental nonprofit organizations. The preference of study fields, subjects, or programs in relation to the close links onto the needs of the society and the economy as reflected in the requirements of the world market has thus been becoming one of the most important goals of strategic planning of the tertiary education development in the Czech Republic. The study presents the requirements placed on the key competencies as seen by university students themselves, as well as by nonprofit entities in the role of potential employers. The study simultaneously presents one of the possible solutions to the utilization of the creative potential of the integration of theory and practice with the orientation at the enhancement of regional development. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.