RECEPTION MARKS ACHIEVEMENTS OF SCHOLARSHIP, MOBILITY AWARD AND INTERNSHIP RECIPIENTS
March 22, 2017
In an event hosted by Professor Patrick Johnston, Vice-Chancellor of the University and Matt Hutnell, Director of Santander Universities UK, over 50 Queen’s students were presented with certificates marking their receipt of mobility awards, scholarships and internships in the past year.
A packed Student Guidance Centre Hub heard from Professor Johnston who congratulated those students who had received scholarships and mobility awards, and those who, for the first time, had undertaken internships with local SMEs.
“It is a real privilege to be among people whom I know are going to make a real difference to society, if they haven’t already started doing so,” said Professor Johnston.
“Today’s event not only marks the achievements and impact of our students – both here in Northern Ireland and further afield – who have received Santander Scholarships and Internships, but it also celebrates the growing relationship between Santander and Queen’s.”
Santander support covers a range of initiatives at Queen’s, including employability and skills development, SME internship funding, leadership and skills development, and entrepreneurship.
Scholarships enable students to study at a partner institution and cover travel and accommodation, while mobility awards fund exchanges between Queen's and universities within the Santander Universities network. The network brings together over 1,200 universities across the world, including Spain, Portugal, Latin America and the UK.
Offering his congratulations to the recipients and commenting on the role of Santander Universities, Matt Hutnell said: “Since our first UK partner joined the network in 2007, we have signed agreements with many universities, including Queen’s. We provide funding for scholarships, mobility awards, research grants and much more, with the aim to support students and academic staff in their academic and research objectives.
“Santander Universities has grown to become a valued partner of the academic community; providing opportunities for internationalisation and innovation. I am delighted that we have recently signed a further agreement with Queen’s, which will see this relationship run for a further three years at least.”
One of the latest recipients, Emma Jones from Omagh, who is currently helping to find her 2017 intern replacement, said: “I was really lucky to get a 6-month marketing internship at Springboard Opportunities. It was a great chance for me to get hands on practical experience in a busy office environment, while still studying for my MSc in Business Management.
“I’d like to thank Santander Universities UK for supporting this fantastic initiative, which gives so many students a real solid foundation in the world of work.”
The University signed an extended agreement with Santander in December, which commits support from the Bank until 2019. Over 200 Queen’s students and staff have directly benefited from Bank support during the last 3 years.
For the first time, two successful group applications were received, both with a Chinese theme. One application came from a number of student engineers at Queen’s who are planning a trip to the Beijing Institute of Technology later in the year, while the second came from China Queen’s College (CGC) in Shenyang.
Guests at the reception viewed a special ‘thank you’ video from 15 medical students at CGC, who will be visiting the Belfast campus this summer.
Inquiries to Gerry Power, Communications Officer, Development and Alumni Relations Office at Queen’s; tel: +44 (0)28 9097 5321.
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