Nine students from Lancaster University have become the first cohort to benefit from the launch of scholarship funding provided by Santander as part of its Santander Universities Global Division.
The funding – approximately worth an overall figure of £45,000 – was agreed last year as part of a co-operative initiative between Lancaster University and Santander, through which the University will receive funding of £168,000 over three years to provide various scholarships and awards for students and staff to study in the UK and abroad.
For those in receipt of the scholarship funds, the news came as an unexpected delight.
MSc student Svetlana Volkova, studying Management Science and Marketing Analytics, was so overjoyed at the news of her £5000 award that she reportedly “jumped around the room with joy!” The financial bonus will provide many staff and students who are awarded funding through the programme with the means to become more independent throughout their education, as well as affording them the opportunity to continue studying in the UK.
Luis Juste, director of Santander Universities UK, said: “We only signed our agreement with Lancaster just over a year ago and we are delighted to already see some positive results of this agreement with a group of talented young people who have been able to study in the UK thanks to our funding.
“We are extremely pleased with Lancaster University’s approach to internationalisation and the transfer of knowledge between universities and we are proud to be in this long-term partnership with Lancaster.”
As well as providing students with financial security, the programme also includes initiatives to facilitate the recruitment of students from Lancaster’s partner, Brazil’s Federal University of Lavras, onto Master’s programmes offered by the Lancaster Environment Centre.
The money will also fund joint Master’s programmes between Lancaster University Management School and the Higher School of Economics in Moscow.
Prof Steve Bradley, Pro Vice Chancellor International, said: “We have a very successful relationship with Santander Universities and we are pleased at the funding and opportunities they offer to our students who also benefit from access to their international network of universities.”
