Nathan Bostock, Santander UK's CEO, made his first official visit to Ulster University yesterday to meet the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paddy Nixon, the senior leadership team as well as students who have benefited from the bank’s financial support.
Ulster University has strong links with Santander after signing a partnership agreement in 2012 and receiving almost £700,000 in funding through the Universities programme.
In addition to the meeting with Professor Paddy Nixon, Mr. Bostock also met with other senior academics including the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alastair Adair, Chief Finance and Information Officer, Peter Hope as well as staff, students and local businesses who have all benefitted from the partnership.
Santander supports the University through internships with local SMEs, mobility grants and entrepreneurial activities. Since 2012, over 150 students have participated in the internship scheme to help them find employment, primarily in Belfast but also in other locations across the UK, after they finish studying.
Nathan Bostock said: “Santander is committed to supporting higher education as well as local communities across the UK. The partnership with Ulster University is a brilliant example of how two very different institutions can work together.
“It’s been great to meet students and staff, and see first-hand the real impact of our joint programmes, in particular the internship scheme which is helping to improve the employability of young people in the region, as well as giving local businesses access to young talent.”
Ulster University will also benefit from Santander’s newly launched Widening Participation fund to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds to study, undertake research or work in a foreign country. The fund aims to help tackle the barriers, both social and economic, that still prevent too many people from fulfilling their educational potential.
Santander, through its Santander Universities division, maintains partnerships with over 1,200 academic institutions in 22 countries. Santander Universities was introduced in the UK in 2007 and the bank is already collaborating with 81 British Universities and Higher Education Institutions, donating over £50m with agreements focused on promoting international exchange, entrepreneurial activities and the mobility of students and researchers within the network.
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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 22 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. As at 30 June 2016, the bank serves around 14 million active customers with c. 20,000 employees and operates through 841 branches (which includes 58 university branches) and 69 regional Corporate Business Centres. Santander UK is subject to the full supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and 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, based in Spain, with a meaningful market share in 10 core countries in Europe and the Americas. Santander is among the world’s top banks by market capitalization. Founded in 1857, Santander had EUR 1.52 trillion in managed funds, 12,500 branches and 190,000 employees at the close of June 2016. In the first half of 2016, Santander made underlying profit of EUR 3,280 million.
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