Sitting with Wickedness: Developing Emotional Competency In and Beyond University

The concept of "wicked problems" originated in policy studies to describe complex issues with no clear solutions or boundaries, and has since been applied to higher education. Much of the literature on wicked competencies emphasizes intellectual skills, such as consensus-building and interdisciplinary thinking. This paper, however, focuses on the emotional competencies needed to engage with wicked problems. Through a discussion of iterative course design in Political Science at the National University of Singapore, the paper argues that an exclusive focus on intellectual skills can leave students feeling overwhelmed by seemingly insurmountable issues. It suggests that instructors must also address emotional responses to these problems by creating space for emotional expression and redirecting those emotions toward hope and action. This approach helps students engage more effectively with the challenges of wicked problems.