Proceedings of the 17th Economics & Finance Conference, Istanbul

INCREASING THE SOCIAL WARENESS OF GENERATION Z THROUGH PRO BONO ACTIVITIES IN THE FRAMEWORK OF UNIVERSITY STUDIES

MÓNIKA GARAI-FODOR

Abstract:

In modern societies, volunteering is a form of civic activity. Volunteering can also contribute to human development goals. It can also lead to services in the form of employment that a paid worker would not be able to provide. It also enhances social solidarity, social capital, political legitimacy and quality of life in society. In this paper I would like to summarise the conclusions of an Erasmus KA2 project "Boosting Employability and Empowering Social Engagement in High Education through Pro Bono". The aim of the project is to strengthen the social responsibility of students in higher education and to promote pro bono volunteering based on professional knowledge sharing. In the framework of the BEESE pro bono Erasmus programme, we have also carried out an international research. In this context, a pre-tested standardised questionnaire survey was carried out among students from the universities participating in the project in the form of an online survey. The research examined young people's openness to pro bono activities, what they know about this form of volunteering and how and to what extent they can be encouraged to engage in CSR activities. I think that the empirical experience of the research and the participation in the programme could be useful for colleagues teaching at the university on how to increase the social awareness of young people, how to help them put their theoretical knowledge into practice while creating value for society.

Keywords: pro bono, social sensitivity, Z generation, volunteering

DOI: 10.20472/EFC.2022.017.007

PDF: Download