Student Empowerment and Graduate Competency Development in Higher Education: Evidence from an Independent Campus Programme.

Background: The independent campus programme is an educational initiative that offers students the opportunity to study more flexibly through a variety of learning activities outside their degree programmes and off-campus. However, the role of student empowerment in this programme has not yet been explored in depth. This study aims to conduct an in-depth exploration of how students are empowered in the independent campus programme and the impact of this empowerment on the development of graduates' competencies and their readiness for the workforce. Methods: This study employs a descriptive qualitative approach to explore student empowerment and the competencies and skills acquired by graduates from the independent campus program. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 respondents selected through purposive sampling, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis, which involves data grouping, pattern identification, theme formation, and interpretation or drawing of conclusions. Result: This study reveals two main findings. First, student empowerment in the independent campus program is achieved through six approaches: facilitating, streamlining, consulting, collaborating, mentoring, and supporting. Second, the indenpendent campus program contributes to the development of students' competencies and skills, namely: leadership, teaching skills, communication skills, problem-solving, critical thinking, analytical skills, networking, and technical skills. The independent campus program provides students with the opportunity to gain hands-on work experience, enabling them to develop skills relevant to current and future workplace needs. Conclusions: Independent campus program make a positive contribution to the development of graduates' competencies at universities. Through flexible, real-world, practice-based learning experiences, students are encouraged to become more active, independent, and directly engaged in the learning process, thereby strengthening their readiness to meet the demands of the workplace.