By Melissa Sim

MORE than half of the undergraduates in a recent survey said they were interested in making a career in the non-profit sector.

This response corresponds with the reasonably high rate of volunteerism here - about 30 per cent of the 3,143 respondents said they volunteered at least once in the last 12 months. The national rate is around 17 per cent.

The survey of National University of Singapore (NUS) undergraduates, aged between 17 and 29, aimed to identify new trends in volunteering, assess undergraduate involvement and find out their attitudes towards issues in the non-profit and charity sector.

It was conducted in May by the NUS Volunteer Network, a student group made up of different clubs involved in community service, and the NUS Business School's Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy. Details were released yesterday.

Professor Albert Teo, director of the centre, said the interest in charity work follows moves by the business world to be more proactive in society: 'Businesses and business schools are going through a soul-searching phase.

'Corporate social responsibility is practised in many firms in Singapore and so more students are aware of it.'

Students and professors said the increased professionalism and higher profile of the charity sector were also reasons for the piqued interest.

President of the NUS Volunteer Network Timothy Lin added: 'It's the only sector where you can find more meaning in your job. Instead of just getting material things, you are helping people.'

There was also positivity about volunteering after graduation, with more than nine in 10 respondents saying they would do so.

But more could be done to improve the reputation of the non-profit sector, the survey found. More than half of those surveyed gave a lukewarm response, saying they had only a moderate level of confidence in charities here.

Mr Lin, an undergraduate, said this cautious view could be due to incidents such as the National Kidney Foundation scandal, which revealed the abuses at the old NKF, and the on-going Ren Ci trial, with allegedly questionable loans in the spotlight.

The survey also showed that friends were key to encouraging volunteerism as 73.9 per cent said they would volunteer if their friends engaged in such activities.

Said Prof Teo: 'This validates the importance of social networks.

'It's not easy to deal with suffering and pain, so it's important to have a network to support you, so you can share feelings and won't burn out.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.