photo of red lollipop signs that say 'Thank you Santander Universities' in white writing

Santander Universities UK and Loughborough University celebrate 10-year partnership

Loughborough University celebrated the tenth anniversary of its partnership with Santander Universities UK at an event which took place last week.

Over the years, Santander has funded many scholarships, awards and projects across the campus, positively transforming the experience and opportunities of hundreds of Loughborough students.

Most recently, the University has benefited with the launch of The Start-up Lab: an incubator, accelerator and training space for students and the local business community to come together to encourage collaborative working and creativity. 

Joshua Hope, Loughborough Students’ Union’s Enterprise and Employability Executive Officer, commented: “We would not be able to provide such a comprehensive offering to our aspiring entrepreneurs without the support of Santander Universities.

“With the addition of the Start-up Lab, it gives a physical progression through the Loughborough Enterprise Network, allowing our students to strive and achieve at all stages of their business journey. Santander Universities’ continued support has allowed us to consistently inspire a new generation of budding entrepreneurs and we are extremely grateful for that.”

The celebratory event – which took place on 22 November – provided an opportunity for Santander to see how their support has benefited the University, and for the recipients of their support to say thank you.

photo of Santander guests and University staff holding a plaque to acknowledge the 10-year partnership

Student Louisa Ejim was awarded the Santander Mobility Award; an initiative that aims to help Loughborough’s students develop their research through collaboration with academics and students from across the world.

Talking about how the funding helped her, Louisa said: “I was awarded the Santander Mobility Award to aid a project as part of my PhD research here at Loughborough.

“Receiving the award from Santander provided me with the support I needed to help me collaborate with the University of Bath using new technology, which overall benefited my research.”

Santander Universities has also provided many postgraduate students with scholarships to study, who may have struggled to do so otherwise without financial support.

In addition, they have helped to develop the University’s sports teams and individual players, allowing them to compete at the highest level.

The organisation also plays a part in supporting events such as International Day at the University – an opportunity for students to showcase their culture through food, performance and stalls, where diversity is shared and celebrated.

Matt Hutnell, Director at Santander Universities, said: “Santander is committed to supporting higher education as well as local communities across the UK.

“We’re delighted to be celebrating the tenth anniversary of our partnership with Loughborough University and seeing the impact of the support and opportunities it has brought to the students and local community. We look forward to seeing the positive impact our joint programmes will continue to have in the future.”

Professor Robert Allison, Vice-Chancellor of Loughborough University, added: “Loughborough is very proud of the strong and dynamic relationship we have with Santander Universities."

“We look forward to continuing to work together to impact many students, with an overall aim of supporting and improving access to Higher Education in the UK and internationally.”

Santander, through its Santander Universities division, maintains partnerships with over 1,200 academic institutions in 20 countries. Santander Universities was introduced in the UK in 2007 and the bank is already collaborating with over 80 British Universities and Higher Education Institutions, with agreements focused on promoting international exchange, entrepreneurial activities and the mobility of students and researchers within the network.

Photo of rugby pitch screen which says 'Thank you Santander' in the evening

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