HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 17 June 2022 - This year, 80 business students in the Citi-HKCSS Community Intern Program (CIP) will have the unique opportunity to intern with local NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and contribute their business knowledge and creative ideas through actual community projects to help these organizations build capacity. Since its debut in 2010, nearly 850 students have benefited from the program.

This is the 12^th year this first-of-its-kind cross-sector collaboration between academia, business and NGOs has been organized. 80 business school students have been selected and will be placed in 40 NGOs serving various groups including low-income, elderly, children and persons with disabilities, as well as helping in environmental conservation. Sponsored and organized by Citi, and co-organized by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS), CIP aims to cultivate Hong Kong's future business leaders to be more caring and responsible individuals through a broadened understanding of the community's needs and challenges and the ideals of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

At the launch ceremony, Mr. Anson Kwok, Head of Commercial Bank, Citi Hong Kong, said: "We are thrilled to witness the continued overwhelming response to this fruitful cross-sector collaboration. Not only will these future leaders be nurtured to have an understanding of CSR, but we will also help create a talent pool of managers with interest and experience in sustainable community development."

Mr. Chua Hoi Wai, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service said: "In addition to the genuine support of Citi, the engagement of various social welfare NGOs and universities is indispensable to the continuity of a cross-sector internship program that lasted for 12 years. Through the seamless cooperation of all these parties, the program could flutter and soar high, contributing to social development. Our project allows future talents to understand different aspects of the society and corporate social responsibility, and at the same time develop their potential and infuse new impetus into the social welfare sector."

The internships will take place from July to August 2022 and target undergraduates majoring in business studies at 10 Hong Kong universities. The interns will work in pairs to contribute their business knowledge and skill sets to assist their assigned NGOs in various projects including fundraising, brand-building and operations, as well as social services. Participants will also be given 20 hours of in-depth training to prepare them for working with the NGOs and to enrich their knowledge of pressing community issues such as the poverty gap, the aging population and environmental conservation. The training comprises: seminars on CSR and cross-sector partnerships; visits to non-profits and social enterprises; opportunities to interact with various underprivileged groups; and volunteering activities.

About Citi

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://blog.citigroup.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi

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About HKCSS
The HKCSS is an umbrella organisation of 500 agency members that provide over 90% of the social welfare services in Hong Kong. HKCSS launched the Caring Company Scheme in 2002 to build a cohesive society by promoting strategic partnership among business and social service partners and inspiring corporate social responsibility through caring for the community, employees and the environment. HKCSS puts much effort into building capacity for social enterprises through the Social Enterprise Business Centre (SEBC) to advance social entrepreneurship and mobilize social innovation.

Additional information may be found at www.hkcss.org.hk | Facebook: www.facebook.com/hkcssfans

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