NGOs seek students

Business school students will have the chance to learn more about corporate social responsibility in a new internship programme at local non-profit organisations.

The service programme, sponsored by financial service group Citi and co-organised by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, will provide places for 72 tertiary students to work in 36 non-profit organisations as interns in the winter break.

Organisers said the programme would be mutually beneficial for the organisations and the students. Its aim is to give business students real-world experience while using their talents to help NGOs achieve their goals.

More than 340 students from nine tertiary institutes have signed up for the programme, the organisers said.

The internships will run from December to February next year.

The students will work in pairs to assist their assigned NGO in social services as well as fundraising. Before they start work, an induction programme will provide the participants with knowledge about social responsibility and co-operation between different sectors.

The NGOs will be reaching out to the elderly, children and youth, and families, offering rehabilitation services; and fulfilling other community needs.

Zhang Shengman, Citi's country officer for Hong Kong, said he hoped the programme would sow the seeds of the sense of corporate social responsibility early in people destined to become the city's business leaders.

'We believe that bringing our future business leaders into contact with the disadvantaged will have positive long-term benefits for our community,' he said.

'Both students and NGOs will benefit,' he added.

HKCSS chief executive Christine Fang Meng-seng said she hoped the programme would help young people develop values, ethics and a sense of caring for the community at a young age.