SMU challenges students to think hard about the ethics of doing business and giving back to society – traits that will stay with them long after graduation.

Spotlight has come upon business ethics and social responsibility in the wake of corporate scandals connected to the widespread economic crisis. The emerging importance of trust and integrity in leadership as organisations struggle to restore confidence resonates with SMU's belief in character building to be as integral as intellectual development in a university education.

Core courses such as 'Ethics & Social Responsibility' and 'Managing Ethical Dilemmas and Corporate Governance' are built into the undergraduate and MBA curriculum respectively, setting out fundamentals for social consciousness in the classroom.

For direct experiential learning, SMU undergraduates complete a 'Leadership & Teambuilding' course anchored on social projects to meet the needs of the greater community. This, combined with a mandatory two-week community service, allow students to work with the underprivileged, marginalised and impoverished, away from the sheltered campus environment and at times taking them afar to Nepal, China, Cambodia and disaster-struck regions.

"We educate students about the importance of trust in the creation of a fair, stable, and responsible society – trust in the institutions of government, in the integrity of business organisations, and in the individuals with whom one has commercial or social interactions. The first step is to be trustworthy."
- Professor Howard Hunter, President, SMU