My journey of ethics started some twelve weeks ago when I first stepped in the ethics class and met a group of professional lecturers. I was familiar with the lecturers, though there were three new lecturers. I started the class with no clear vision, instead I was bearing in mind that it is waste of time since we all believe that we know what is ethical and what is not. Nevertheless, I have learnt a lot and I improved my knowledge towards ethics. I also become a better equipped person when it comes to decision making and judging ethical dilemmas. The journey started by first introducing some of the codes of ethics in the world, followed by some of the most debatable ethical issues around the world. It was my pleasure to go through such a useful class, which I have gained a lot.
In the first eleven weeks, we had discussions about different issues, and this forced me to read many articles about ethics so that I can keep pace with the class. This helped me a lot and I have gained valuable knowledge. In addition to this, I tried to think critically and look things in different perspectives and honestly many of us improved their analytical and debating skills. Apart from the class, I started to implement what was taught in the class in my real life. The most common saying among AIU students during this trimester was “do you think what you want to do is ethical” which shows all the students started implementing ethical lessons to their lives.. This shows that many of us implemented the concept of ethics in the real life and if not fully at least, we started questioning our behaviors and decisions. In addition, I started writing a reflective diary which I use not only for reflections of the course but also to reflect on my behaviors and daily activities. Since the second week of the trimester, I kept a diary book which I write what I do on a particular day and what I have supposed to do.
Despite attending all those classes, I did not get the exact meaning of what ethics mean until the last lecture. However, I got the word that answered the question in my mind from the Deputy Vice Chancellor Omar Faruq on the last day. He said in his last speech that, ethics is all about transparency. In my view, this means ethics is about telling the truth and being your true self. It also means caring about others and as Mr. John shared with us it is caring not only yourself but also all mankind. What I will never forget about this lecture was, the wonderful story entitled to “when the world has dawned”. As many other people answered, the ideal answer to me was when the sun rises. However, after absorbing the answer given by the wise man, I was forced to think and reconsider my view towards this. Therefore I realized that the world will dawn when all human kind irrespective of their culture, religion and race live in peace and harmony. This is not an easy task rather it needs huge efforts from us, and to make the dream of our founder as well as lectures, if not AIU students who else will change the world.
Lastly, but not certainly the least, the ethics course was very helpful to me, and it is compatible with our university’s expectations. Therefore, if we do not forget what was taught to us in the class, and instead we put them into action, one day we will be able to change the world into better place where compassion and kindness are practiced. This is not the end of the journey but to me it is the first step of the one thousand steps that we as AIU students transform the world into a better place for all.
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