- The three-year agreement will provide funding for the University and benefit both students and the local community
Birmingham City University and Santander have signed a new three-year partnership agreement that will provide, among other support, scholarships to enable students of the university to enhance their leadership skills and graduate employability.
The agreement was signed by the Vice-Chancellor of Birmingham City University, Professor Philip Plowden, and Matt Hutnell, Director of Santander Universities in the UK, at a ceremony held within the university city centre campus. The event was also attended by Deputy Vice Chancellors Professor Julian Beer and Professor Claire Mackie, as well as other senior members of the University and an array of regional representatives from Santander.
Through this new partnership, Santander will fund a variety of initiatives including supporting the University to develop the healthcare leaders of tomorrow, through the existing Birmingham City University Higher Achievers Recognition Scheme.
Santander’s financial support will also enable Birmingham City University students to develop their entrepreneurial skills, via seed funding, in conjunction with the School of Engineering and the Built Environment who foster student innovation through a highly successful ‘Mentored Projects’ scheme.
Vice-Chancellor of Birmingham City University, Professor Philip Plowden, said: “The partnership with Santander will increase the number of transformative opportunities available for our students through education, entrepreneurship and employability, three areas which are at the heart of all we do at BCU. Our courses incorporate practice-based learning at every stage, allowing our students the space and opportunity to develop skills and knowledge in demand by employers. Much of this approach is testament to the strength of our relationships with industry partners such as Santander, and we are delighted to be signing this agreement with them.”
Matt Hutnell, Director, Santander Universities UK, said: "We are delighted to welcome Birmingham City University to the Santander Universities network. We are committed to supporting Higher Education institutions as well as local communities across the UK. Through this new partnership we will be able to collaborate to not only help students at Birmingham City University thrive, but ensure our mutual projects can deliver real economic and social benefits to the wider community as well.”
Professor Hanifa Shah, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, said: “This agreement represents a very important step in continuing to deliver excellence in employability and widening participation across schools, faculties and the University as a whole. We’re looking forward to sharing the benefits of the partnership with Santander with our current and prospective students.”
Santander Universities was launched by Santander in 1996 with the primary aim for universities to share goals of internationalisation, transfer of knowledge and fostering of entrepreneurial skills. This new agreement marks the 84th partnership for Santander Universities in the UK. The Bank has established partnerships with over 1,200 universities in 20 countries.
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Notes to Editors
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 2018, the bank has around 24,000 employees. It serves around 15 million active customers, via a nationwide branch network, telephone, mobile and online banking; and 64 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’ eligible deposits 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, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Spain. It has a meaningful presence in 10 core markets in Europe and the Americas, and is the largest bank in the euro zone by market capitalization. At the end of 2018, Banco Santander had EUR 981 billion in customer funds (deposits and mutual funds), 144 million customers, 13,000 branches and 200,000 employees. Banco Santander made attributable profit of EUR 7,810 million in 2018, an increase of 18% compared to the previous year.
Santander Universities
Santander, through its Santander Universities division, maintains partnerships with close to 1,200 academic institutions in 20 countries. Santander Universities was introduced in the UK in 2007 and the bank now has partnerships with over 80 universities, providing over £10m of funding in 2018 to support university staff and students. In 2015, Santander topped the Global list of Fortune 500 in investment in education (Source: Varkey Report/UNESCO). For further information visit:
www.santander.co.uk/universities
About Birmingham City University
With over 24,000 students from 80 countries, Birmingham City University (BCU) is a large, diverse and increasingly popular place to study. The University puts students at the heart of everything it does, giving them the best opportunities for future success.
Home to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham School of Media, Birmingham City University is the biggest producer of creative professionals outside the South East.
Media Enquiries
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