Advanced Creative Thinking

Program Overview

In today’s fast-paced world, the ability to generate truly novel and impactful ideas is a competitive advantage. Whether it’s rethinking everyday challenges or sparking revolutionary changes in a field, profession, or industry, creative thinking and the persuasive communication of new ideas have become crucial assets.

This MicroCredential course (5 ECTS) on Advanced Creative Thinking and Communication is designed for individuals ready to transform how they approach problems. It helps participants unlock their creative potential, challenge conventional thinking, and develop both individual and collaborative creativity.

This micro-credential course is co-designed and delivered in collaboration by five European pioneers in creative thinking, AI, and persuasive communication — Vilnius University Business School, Maynooth University, University of Minho, Graz University, and Kaospilot — combining rigorous science with hands-on, experiential learning.

Content

The course consists of four integrated elements designed to build creative capacity step by step:

Attendance at the 3-day in-person workshop at Kaospilot is mandatory in order to complete and pass the course.

Each day and activity is structured to progressively strengthen participants’ creative thinking, communication, and AI-supported innovation skills. The experience is intensive, immersive, scientific, and highly practical, combining theory, reflection, and real-world challenges.

Key Learnings Include:

• Master 7 powerful techniques to boost your creativity in daily life.
• Build a toolbox that goes far beyond traditional brainstorming.
• Discover alternative ways to explore new ideas with a curious and open mindset.
• Learn to challenge industry norms and spot opportunities where others see obstacles.
• Prepare highly persuasive idea presentations for gatekeepers, investors and general audience.
• Explore how to leverage AI tools like chatbots to enhance creative thinking and persuasive communication.
• Develop creative rituals and workspaces that fuel imagination and focus.
• Cultivate inner capacities that unlock more breakthrough ideas from your subconscious.
• Get fun, everyday exercises that will continuously expand your creative thinking and communication skills.

Is This For Me?

This course is for anyone seeking to elevate their creative capacity and impact, regardless of field or background.

It is ideal for participants from all industries and professional backgrounds — including, for example, business, entrepreneurship and leadership; architecture and design; public management and policy; biotech, nanotech and deeptech; marketing, communication and product development; finance, law, medicine and engineering; wind energy, sustainability and innovation projects — as well as any other professional field.

Whether you are developing a personal venture, leading a team, or reimagining your professional field, this course provides universal creative problem-solving tools that lead to unique, competitive, and future-shaping solutions.

Learning Outcomes

After completing the course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the key concepts, theories, and frameworks of creativity in social and psychological processes.
• Identify cognitive and social barriers to creativity and apply practical methods to overcome them.
• Master persuasive communication strategies to present ideas effectively to diverse audiences (gatekeepers, users, colleagues, stakeholders, etc.).
• Use AI tools ethically and creatively to support idea development, critical reflection, and innovative thinking.
• Build a sustainable personal creative process by integrating new practices, methods, and environments into daily routines.
• Reflect critically on own creative and communication practices, identifying strengths and growth opportunities.
• Collaborate effectively across cultural and disciplinary boundaries, developing collective creative intelligence.

Approach

The course combines scientific insight with experiential learning and creative practice. Participants will engage in reflective, thought-provoking, and hands-on activities designed to push them intellectually, emotionally, and creatively.

They will be guided through processes of:

• Navigating ambiguity and uncertainty
• Uncovering hidden assumptions
• Balancing divergent and convergent thinking
• Experimenting with intuitive and collective intelligence

Participants will also explore the light and dark sides of AI in creative work — understanding its potential for enhancing imagination and originality, as well as its ethical and environmental implications.

Through continuous reflection and creative challenges, participants will develop rituals, mindsets, and environments that nurture long-term creative growth and innovation.

Participants

This course typically brings together a large, diverse cohort – up to 150 participants – from many countries, universities, fields, and industries. The group is a mix of master’s students from ARQUS Alliance universities and professionals enrolled through partner programs, creating a rich, cross-disciplinary learning environment.

About the programme directors

Dr. Christian Byrge, Professor — christian.byrge@vm.vu.lt

Christian is an internationally recognized expert in creative thinking and a key figure behind the Creative Genius programs. He has authored more than 70 works on creativity and has 19 years of experience in research and teaching. Christian has facilitated creative processes for global companies such as Novo Nordisk, LEGO, and TotalEnergies.

Dennis Dybdal, Kaospilot & Entrepreneur

Dennis is an innovation and strategy expert with over 15 years of experience in start-up development and leadership training. As the founder of Green Zebra in East Africa, he has focused on impactful education and corporate training. He holds a business degree from Kaospilot, served on its Board until 2023, and has completed executive programs at Stanford, Harvard, and Cambridge.

Dr. Iain Macdonald, Associate Professor — Iain.Macdonald@mu.ie

Iain is Head of the Department of Design Innovation at Maynooth University and a Member of the Chartered Society of Designers. He has over 25 years of experience in the creative industries, including roles as a motion graphic designer at the BBC and a commercials director in London, before moving into academia. He currently serves as Vice-President of the UK’s National Society for Education in Art & Design.

Dr. Isabel Macedo, Assistant Professor — imacedo@eeg.uminho.pt

Isabel’s research explores nonprofit and public marketing, ICT, and services marketing, with publications in journals such as the European Journal of Marketing, the Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, and Computers in Human Behavior. She is deeply committed to fostering creativity and innovation in learning, integrating design thinking and experiential approaches to cultivate critical and reflective engagement.

Dr. Fritz Treiber, Molecular Biologist — fritz.treiber@uni-graz.at

Fritz has a background in microbiology and molecular biology. At the Institute for Molecular Biosciences and the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Graz, he focuses on creative problem solving and the role of AI in creativity. He is the author of several non-fiction books and has produced two independent films, for which he served as both screenwriter and director