University launches partnership with global banking institution

The three-year agreement will provide five ‘Santander-Abbey’ Scholarships for postgraduate students from the 11 Iberoamerican countries in ‘Santander Universities’ network – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela – to study at the University. In addition, University students and staff will benefit from funding for research and study opportunities to be developed in those countries.

The agreement also supports two student incubator spaces for entrepreneurial students to develop their businesses, as well as funding to research, develop and undertake an e-languages project within the University to expand and strengthen links with Latin America.

The formal agreement was signed today by Professor Bill Wakeham, University of Southampton’s Vice-Chancellor, and Mr Luis Juste, ‘Santander Universities’ Director in the UK.

Professor Wakeham comments: “The University is delighted to be joining the ‘Santander Universities’ and we look forward to developing an innovative partnership, based on our joint ambition to support the potential of the brightest students and to developing leading edge research and extending our global research links.”

‘Santander Universities’ UK Director, Luis Juste, adds: “On behalf of Abbey and the ‘Santander Universities’ network, I would like to extend my warmest welcome to the University of Southampton. Our partnership will promote the exchange of knowledge and spirit of entrepreneurship between the students and researchers at Southampton and their counterparts in the Iberoamerican institutions that are already part of the network. This can only bring long-term benefits to all concerned.”

Through its ‘Santander Universities’ Global Division, Banco Santander has channelled almost half a billion euros since 1996 into academia through co-operative agreements with 625 universities in Spain, America, Portugal, Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom.