A senior delegation from Banco Santander, owners of Abbey National plc in the UK, visited Cambridge today to sign a three-year Agreement of Cooperation with the University.

The Chairman of Banco Santander, Emilio Botín, met with the Vice-Chancellor Professor Alison Richard today, together with Abbey National plc Chief Executive, António Horta-Osório.

The agreement will provide scholarships for MPhil graduate students from Spain, Portugal, Latin or South America in any subject or for home students taking the MPhil in Latin American Studies. There will be a budget to support academic staff and student travel and exchanges in these countries, and a fund for a Santander distinguished visiting fellow at Judge Business School.

In addition, the Bank will provide special tailored banking services for international students at Cambridge and for any Cambridge staff or students.

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.

The Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University, Professor Alison Richard, said: ”This is very good news for Cambridge and for the university’s future partnerships across the Grupo Santander network. We are very grateful to Emilio Botin and Banco Santander and look forward to working closely together with them to make the most of this partnership.”

Banco Santander’s Chairman, Emilio Botín, said: “This partnership between Banco Santander and Cambridge University is one of the most significant steps in our programme of working with universities in the UK, Spain, Portugal and Latin America. Cambridge stands as a model for the academic world.

"With the signing of our agreement that facilitates the mobility of students and researchers within the 'Santander Universities' scheme, we will be reinforcing international networks of students, staff and research, and promoting the sharing of knowledge and cultural understanding.”

Santander Universities Global Division is the channel through which Banco Santander supports the higher education sector in Europe and the Americas in such areas as teaching and research, international cooperation, knowledge and technology transfer, entrepreneurial initiatives, student mobility and innovation.

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