Shriti Vadera, Chairman of Santander UK, made her first official visit to the University of West England yesterday to meet the Deputy Vice Chancellor and senior University staff, students who have benefited from the bank’s financial support, and local businesses. She also gave a lecture on Post-globalism at the University’s Faculty of Business and Law.
During the guest lecture, part of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series, Shriti discussed the trend of de-globalisation, and what this means in the current macro-economic and geo-political context. It was followed by a lively Q&A moderated by Professor Nicholas O’Regan.
Santander is committed to supporting higher education as well as local communities across the UK. The University of West England has strong links with Santander after signing a three year partnership agreement in 2013, extended in 2016 for a further three years, with the bank’s Universities division committing over £350,000 in funding. The support focuses on promoting international exchange through scholarships and travel grants, encouraging student entrepreneurial activities, and supporting employability through internships and work placements with local SMEs.
In addition to meeting with the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Jane Harrington, Shriti attended an informal networking event with student recipients hosted by Professor Donna Whitehead, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean, Faculty of Business and Law. In the academic year 2015-16, the bank’s funding provided 32 internships and work placements helping final year students gain valuable work experience and access into the world of work.
Shriti Vadera, Chairman of Santander UK said: “It’s been great to meet students and staff, and see first-hand the impact of our joint programmes. I particularly enjoyed meeting the participants of our internship scheme which is helping to improve the employability of young people in the region as well as helping local businesses access fresh talent.”
Shriti also met with local businesses from across the South West at a roundtable event with Bristol West Chamber of Commerce, chaired by its Chief Executive James Durie on the topic of International Trade. During the session, she answered questions on the main barriers and opportunities to exporting, the possible impact of Brexit, and how the bank is supporting SME’s to trade internationally.
Professor Jane Harrington, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of West England said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Shriti Vadera and her colleagues from Santander today. Our partnership is a brilliant example of how two very different institutions can work together and also support our local community. I know her insight and invaluable knowledge was appreciated by the local businesses, as well as our students and colleagues who attended her lecture.”
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Notes to Editors
Speech available upon request. From next week (w/c 13 March) a podcast of the speech will be available at: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/whatson/bristoldaseries/previoustalks.aspx
About Us
Santander Universities
Santander, through Santander Universities, tops the list of Fortune 500 in investment in education (Source: Varkey Report/UNESCO). The Bank has established partnerships with over 1,200 universities in 20 countries, of which 81 are in the UK. Through these agreements Santander promotes entrepreneurship, employability and internationalisation. For further information please visit: www.santander.co.uk/universities
Santander UK is a financial services provider in the UK that offers a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services. It has brought real competition to the UK, through its innovative products for retail customers and relationship banking model for UK SMEs. At 31 December 2016, the bank serves around 14 million active customers with c20,000 employees and operates through 841 branches (which includes 60 university branches) and 67 regional Corporate Business Centres. Santander UK is subject to the full supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) in the UK. Santander UK plc customers are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in the UK.
Banco Santander (SAN SM, STD US, BNC LN) is a leading retail and commercial bank, headquartered in Spain, with a meaningful market share in 10 core countries in Europe and the Americas. It is among the world’s top banks by market capitalization. The bank’s purpose is to help people and businesses prosper, in a way that is simple, personal and fair. Founded in 1857, Santander had EUR 1.52 trillion in managed funds, 125 million customers, 12,200 branches and 188,000 employees at the close of 2016. Santander made attributable profit of EUR 6,204 million in 2016, an increase of 4% compared to the previous year.
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