In recent years, more and more college students are going abroad to become international volunteers, engaging in social charity work concerning children and women’s rights and interests, prevention of AIDS, environmental protection and much more.

Huang Zebin, vice chairman of International Volunteers Program Department of AIESEC (Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales) at Shenzhen University, said in an interview that “Every year AIESEC China nurtures over 6,000 members and more than 3,000 college students are given the opportunity to do volunteering jobs or internship abroad. In the past two years, there have been 300 to 400 volunteers signing up for the program each year at the university, but only around 60 volunteers ended up having the opportunity to serve. These students are mainly from universities in Guangdong Province such as Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies and Shenzhen University.”

According to Huang, comprehensive universities are a major source of international volunteers. Students from Sino-foreign universities like the University of Nottingham Ningbo China and Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University have also shown strong interest, with 300 to 400 volunteers coming from such universities each year. Geographically, international volunteers from universities located in coastal cities outnumber those from inland universities.

In terms of favorite destinations, Huang said, “Europe remains the top choice for most volunteers. However, due to the limited amount of European programs, volunteers often make Southeast Asian countries an alternative. African countries are also popular.”

From Huang’s perspective, international volunteering can bring tangible benefits to students. “During the six-week program, international volunteers are able to witness locals’ lives, help them and experience exotic cultures. I can feel that they have changed after they volunteer,” Huang said.

However, not everyone is qualified for the program. English proficiency is a prerequisite, which means each volunteer must be able to at least communicate with people in different countries in English. “We’ll not send anyone who is not able to communicate with our program directors in other countries. This is our bottom line.” (Yang Mei)