Celebrating more than 10 years of support from Santander Universities

Over the past 10 years, Santander Universities has funded over 170 paid mini-internships for students at a variety of small and medium-sized companies around the country. This scheme, which was co-funded by Santander and donations from our alumni community, provided valuable work experience and led to more than 50 full-time jobs.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Santander Universities donated over £50,000 towards our Emergency Fund for Students campaign, which helped hundreds of our students struggling to make ends meet – some of whom only had a couple of pounds to their name. Below is just a selection of feedback we’ve had:

“Thank you so, so much. This means the world to me. You have just lifted a heavy load off my shoulders. Thank you for the assistance and support.”

“Thank you to Santander for helping students out who are struggling financially and the big impact their help will have for me.”

In addition, Santander Universities has also generously allocated £10,000 to help BU students struggling with tech poverty. In total, 40 recipients will be awarded a grant of £250 each to buy a laptop which they can use for their studies.

Santander Universities has funded both BU student and staff mobility, allowing members of the BU community to visit universities around the world.  

Shay Bahadori, Project Manager at BU’s Orthopaedics Research Institute and PhD student, received a mobility grant which enabled him to visit the University of Sao Paulo and further his research into virtual reality rehabilitation. Shay said this about his experience:

“The Santander mobility award gave me the opportunity to visit some of the best Universities and the most beautiful places in the world. It opened my eyes to a rich Brazilian culture and I was exposed to new and intriguing schools of thought. Above all, it has enabled me to develop new research ideas, meet great academics and to take a step forward to become a professional researcher at an international level.

“Since my visit, I have maintained my relationship with the academics at University of Sao Paulo and we currently have a joint publication in the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation on the use of Virtual Reality Interventions in Neuromedicine and Rehabilitation. I was also fortunate to have been selected as a finalist in the Santander Universities Student Impact Awards 2019.”  

Santander Universities have also supported students working to turn their business ideas into a reality.

The Emerging Entrepreneurs programme provides budding entrepreneurs with mentoring, guest lectures and bi-weekly group sessions exploring how they can get the most from their business. Out of the 83 participants, eight will be chosen to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges and two lucky winners will receive £30,000 of seed funding.

BU student Conor Tompkins-Breen is currently taking part with his online jewellery business RELIVED. Conor said the following about his involvement:

“Receiving the grant from Santander was the first major step in my journey which allowed me to get the ball rolling and turn my idea into a reality.

“The Santander grant was a huge help in allowing me to progress my idea. I would highly recommend applying for it.”

The Santander Scholars Fund has been developed thanks to a generous grant from Santander Universities, to support BU students who are on the autistic spectrum. Santander will support 12 students for 3 years. The grants can be used for a range of purposes, from buying specialised equipment, to paying for training courses or helping with placement costs.

One of our current Santander Scholars said this about the benefits of the scheme:

In the tough times that we have faced due to the pandemic, the Santander grant has really helped me financially whilst I’ve been furloughed from work. This has helped me not to worry about money and focus more on my studies. The support that they have given me is exceptional and I’ve very grateful for them!