Meeting the Challenges of Personal Development and Character Building in University Students

Abstract

Graduate unemployment and corruption are two major challenges faced by Malaysia. One of the top reasons for graduate unemployment in Malaysia, according to a recent survey of Malaysian employers, is poor character or attitude among university graduates. Despite intensifying anti-corruption efforts, corruption in Malaysia has remained a serious challenge. Character education and personal development programs which instil good values in our future leaders can be effective tools in the fight against corruption. This paper reports on a study which reviews the effectiveness of a campus wide program that was implemented between 2011 and 2013 aimed to facilitate personal development and character building in undergraduates by a Malaysian public university which specializes in management education. In line with the feedback obtained from students and lecturers on the aforesaid program, this paper puts forward some recommendations for improvement of future programs which aimed to enhance character education and personal development among university undergraduates.