Bank boost for St Andrews

The University of St Andrews and Santander UK will today (Wednesday May 19, 2010) sign a three-year agreement, with a total value of £150,000, that will create support for scholarships, research, entrepreneurship and the arts.

Santander Universities, an international scheme which already supports 800 academic institutions across Latin America, China, USA, Spain, Morocco, Portugal, Russia and the UK, will set up postgraduate scholarships, awards for academic travel, support for entrepreneurship activities and Latin American and Spanish arts projects.

At least six scholarships per year will be for postgraduate students – five from Iberamerican countries and one scholarship for a UK student. They are likely to be for students on one-year master courses, but not limited to any particular subjects.

In addition, a fund is being created to support students or staff, of whatever nationality, in academic travel overseas to attend conferences, collaborate with other universities, or carry out fieldwork.

Santander will also support Latin American and Spanish Arts projects – including an Iberamerican film festival, productions of Spanish plays and art exhibitions – and entrepreneurship activities such as “Dragons Den” enterprise events and six-month incubator spaces for the development of business plans.

The University will also benefit from the expertise of Santander directors – their participation in relevant conferences and seminars, and assistance in securing work placements and exchange programmes for students.

Principal and Vice-Chancellor Dr Louise Richardson said: “The University of St Andrews and Santander UK share a common belief – that education and research are the keys to promoting global development and prosperity.

“This is a significant partnership that will promote international collaboration, encourage knowledge exchange, and enable more students and academics to benefit from educational opportunities.”

António Horta-Osório, Chief Executive of Santander UK, said:

“We are delighted to welcome the University of St Andrews, one of the top universities in the world, into the Santander Universities network. We are proud to be able to contribute to the University’s prestige in high quality education by providing scholarships for students from other countries and the UK as well as support for various projects.”

The announcement follows the official opening of a dedicated “university branch” within Santander’s Market Street premises, which will offer exclusive products for students and mortgages and insurance products for staff.

Notes to News Editors

1. Santander Universities

‘Santander Universities’ Global Division is the channel through which Santander supports the higher education sector in Europe and the Americas in such areas as teaching and research, international co-operation, knowledge and technology transfer, entrepreneurial initiatives, student mobility and innovation. Since its creation in 1996, ‘Santander Universities’ has been the keystone of the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy.

‘Santander Universities’ was introduced in the UK in 2007 and the bank is already collaborating with 37 universities in the UK, with similar agreements – focused in mobility, international exchange and entrepreneurial activities. ‘Santander Universities’ initiatives include the granting of over 17,000 scholarships a year to promote study, research and initial professional work experience and bursaries to facilitate student and staff mobility between universities in the network; 848 universities worldwide belong to the Santander Universities network.

Issued by the University of St Andrews

Contact: Emma Shea, Communications Manager, on 01334 462 109 or email [email protected]