- The three-year agreement will provide funding for the University and benefit both students and the local community
- Initiatives include the University’s 'First Generation' programme, a scheme which will support local students whose parents did not attend university
Manchester Metropolitan 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 Manchester Metropolitan University, Professor Malcolm Press, and Matt Hutnell, Director of Santander Universities in the UK, at a ceremony held within the University’s campus. The event was also attended by senior members of the University and representatives from Santander.
Through this new partnership, Santander will fund a variety of initiatives including supporting the University in its ‘First Generation’ programme, a scheme which will support students from the Greater Manchester area, whose parents did not attend university, to enhance their employability and further success.
Santander’s financial support will also enable Manchester Metropolitan University students to develop their entrepreneurial skills through start-up grants. The best student and graduate business ideas from the Business Start Up Boot Camp and pitching competition will also be awarded six months’ free incubation space at Innospace, the University’s entrepreneurship unit. In addition, the support will provide a programme of inspirational ‘Be Your Own Boss’ events to encourage more students and graduates to start their own business.
Professor Malcolm Press, Vice-Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Santander and together we will support ambitions by opening up access to higher education. Santander’s support will help to make a real impact on students by nurturing the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, creating new scholarships, and kick-starting careers.
“Through the partnership we will deliver scholarships to students on our First Generation programme, provide start-up grants to student and graduate businesses through our incubation unit Innospace, and partner with SMEs in the region to provide paid internships for graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds.”
Matt Hutnell, Director, Santander Universities UK, said: "We are delighted to welcome Manchester Metropolitan 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 Manchester Metropolitan University thrive, but ensure our mutual projects can deliver real economic and social benefits to the wider community as well.”
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 85th 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
Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is a great, modern university, with roots in higher education that date back to 1824. Located in the global city of Manchester, the University works closely with partners, business, the community and academic peers – locally, nationally and on the international stage.
Manchester Metropolitan achieved the silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework, has 85% of research impact rated world-leading and internationally excellent as judged in the REF, is the UK’s greenest university as ranked by the People and Planet sustainability league tables and is one of the country’s top 25 best employers for LGBT staff, as featured in the Stonewall Top 100 Employers ranking.
With 38,000 students and more than 1,000 undergraduate, postgraduate and professional courses, the University educates and trains large numbers of legal and business professionals, scientists, engineers, teachers, health workers and creative professionals.
The University has internationally renowned schools of Art and Architecture, one of the most successful literary centres running in the UK today in the Manchester Writing School, internationally recognised health research and is a leading provider of Degree Apprenticeships.
The University has fantastic facilities and is home to new award-winning buildings and cutting-edge architecture including the Business School, Students’ Union and the Brooks buildings. Manchester School of Art’s Benzie Building, which features an impressive array of digital and technical workshops, gallery spaces, studios, café areas and a roof terrace, is situated alongside the historical Grosvenor and Righton Buildings. Manchester Metropolitan is undergoing a £400m major capital investment programme to further enhance its facilities, buildings and public spaces.
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