The University of Ulster today unveiled an exciting new 3-year educational partnership with leading financial institution Santander UK.

The agreement, signed at Ulster’s Belfast campus, will establish support systems for students and staff that will open up access to Santander’s world wide university network – ‘Universidades Santander’.

As part of the agreement, nine new Student Scholarships awards and 10 Mobility Scholarships per year, will be made available to Ulster students and staff for study and research both within the UK and across the ‘Universidades Santander” network, which encompasses university partners in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Russia, UK, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela, Spain and Portugal.

A sum of £20,000 per annum will also be available for the encouragement and support of entrepreneurship activities within the University of Ulster.

The University of Ulster also becomes part of the ‘Universidades Santander” network as a part of the agreement, and Santander UK will assist the University to look for work placements and exchange programmes for students identified under the Study and Research abroad awards within the Grupo Santander network.

The agreement was signed at the University of Ulster’s Belfast campus today by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard Barnett, and Snr Luis Juste, Director of Santander Universities UK.

Welcoming the partnership, Professor Barnett said:

"This is a very exciting day for the University of Ulster, as we stand alongside Santander in their belief that higher education is the most powerful catalyst to promote the development of society. We are proud and honoured today to become  part of the Santander Universities global network - a network that extends over 16 countries and over 900 institutions.”

“The importance of fostering talent, of widening opportunities to many and acting as the arteries of our economic social and cultural heartbeat is crucial to the University of Ulster as it is to the Santander network, and I welcome the opportunities this partnership will bring to our students and staff in the years ahead.”

Santander gives more support to the university community than any other bank in the world. Santander Universities Director in the UK, Luis Juste, said:

“Today is just the beginning. The more we work together the more out relationship will develop and grow, as the University of Ulster gains the benefits of membership of the worldwide Santander Universities network.

“We want to work with the University of Ulster to create opportunities for students, for the community, and  for society as a whole, and this partnership is an important means by which we at Santander work to achieve that aim.”

From first contact to this week’s signing ceremony, the partnership took just eight weeks to put in place - a record in the Santander Universities network.