Citi-HKCSS Community Intern Program 2021 Handing Young Leaders the Torch of Corporate Social Responsibility

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 9 June 2021 – Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C)

The yearly Citi-HKCSS Community Intern Program (CIP) continues, lighting up the way for local business university students to venture into Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and social awareness. 2021 marks the 11^th year of the program.

CIP is sponsored and organized by Citi and co-organized by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS). The program is a first-of-its-kind cross-sector collaboration between academia, business and the NGO sector to provide local university students with internship opportunities at local non-profit organizations in order to cultivate the concept of CSR and broaden young talents’ understanding of the community.

The program gives Hong Kong’s future business leaders the chance to work with local non-profit organizations to tackle obstacles faced by the Hong Kong community. 80 business school students from 10 local universities are selected and will be placed into 40 different non-governmental organizations (NGOs) this summer, enabling them to contribute their knowledge and expertise to build capacity for the NGOs.

At the launch ceremony, Ms. Wendy Hu, Managing Director and Team Head, Hong Kong, Citi Private Bank said: “Citi has always been proud of our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility. This is the 11^th year we have run CIP, nurturing the concept of CSR in more than 770 leaders of tomorrow. We believe understanding both the community and its challenges are central skills essential to being a future leader. We are committed to continuing this program and collaborating with our partner HKCSS to be the catalyst that enables young talent to bring good and positive changes to our society.”

Mr. Chua Hoi Wai, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, has also added: “This year marks the 11^th anniversary of CIP. We are glad to continue our partnership with Citi in this meaningful program and would like to express our gratitude towards our university partners and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for their continuous support. In retrospect, business students contributed their expertise and innovative ideas to the NGO sector through this internship program. The alumni’s devotion to the society and their continuous efforts to put CSR into practice are our drive to sustain the program. We hope the interns in 2021 continue to brighten the community with the spirit of CIP and Corporate Social Responsibility.”

The 80 interns will work in 40 NGOs for 160 hours or more during July and August of 2021. They’re serving various community groups, including low-income families, the elderly and persons with disabilities, as well as helping in environmental conservation, providing strategic and operational assistance to their assigned NGOs in areas including but not limited to network building, brand-building, fundraising, social enterprise business, operations and community service support. They will also be given 20 hours of in-depth training on NGO operation and pressing community issues such as poverty gap, population ageing and environmental conservation. The training also includes seminars on CSR and cross-sector partnerships, visits to non-profit and social enterprises, as well as opportunities to interact with various underprivileged groups.

Photo 1

Ms. Wendy Hu, Managing Director and Team Head, Hong Kong, Citi Private Bank (middle) and Mr. Chua Hoi Wai, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (left), along with a representative of the CIP Alumni, mark the official launch of Citi-HKCSS Community Intern Program 2021.

Photo 2

(first row sixth from left) Ms. Wendy Hu, Managing Director and Team Head, Hong Kong, Citi Private Bank and (first row fifth from left) Mr. Chua Hoi Wai, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, pictured with the interns, NGO and university representatives, at the launch ceremony for the Citi-HKCSS Community Intern Program 2021.