Emilio Botín announces the Formula Santander scholarship programme for 300 university students

1. Press Release
Emilio Botín announces the Formula Santander
scholarship programme for 300 university students
 Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button
participated at the scholarship presentation ceremony in Shanghai.
 By allocating 5,000 euros with each scholarship, the programme fosters the
international mobility of students from Brazil, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Shanghai (China), April 12, 2012. Banco Santander Chairman Emilio Botín announced
today in Shanghai, the venue of the third F1 Grand Prix of the season, the third edition of the
Formula Santander scholarship programme for international mobility. He presented the
programme accompanied by Scuderia Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa,
as well as the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.
The programme, organised by Banco Santander through its Santander Universities Global
Division, is designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students in Brazil, Spain and the
UK, allowing them to seek placement at a foreign university in the Santander Universities
network. Each Formula Santander scholarship, worth EUR 5,000, covers tuition fees, travel,
board and lodging.
At the ceremony, Emilio Botín said: “16 years ago we decided to support universities as a
cornerstone of our action in society and over 2,000 people work at the bank today to assist
the 1,010 universities in 17 countries with which we have an agreement. This is a unique
alliance that sets Santander apart from the rest of the banks in the world.”
The universities taking part in the program will select the beneficiaries based particularly on
their academic record, their economic resources and their knowledge of languages. One
hundred scholarships will be for students from Brazilian universities, one hundred will be for
Spanish students and another one hundred will be for British university students.
In the first two editions, where 300 scholarships were granted each year, there were over
35,000 applications. The basis for the new programme can be found at the following
address: www.becas-santander.com.
At the presentation, Fernando Alonso, twice Formula One world champion, said: “Banco
Santander offers young people a unique opportunity to complete their training by means of
an unforgettable experience of international mobility. Getting to know other cultures and
countries is part of our life as Formula 1 drivers and it is a very enhancing experience. I
wouldn’t let this opportunity get away.” His teammate Felipe Massa said: “It is an honour for
me to continue collaborating with the Formula Santander scholarships and see how every
day more students can fulfil their dream of studying at the best universities in the world.”
Further information:
Santander Universities Communications
Ana Núñez | Sonia Pérez | Marta Gallardo
+34 615 90 29 46 | +34 615 90 74 04 | +34 615 371 838
comunicadgsu@gruposantander.com | www.santander.com/universities
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2. Jenson Button, 2009 F1 world champion and runner-up last year, declared: “It is a pleasure
to again be an ambassador of this scholarship programme. Santander continues to support
talent, just as it does in F1.” Lewis Hamilton, 2008 F1 world champion, said: “It’s good to see
Santander continue to support university students in their training, giving them the chance to
enhance their experience abroad.”
Banco Santander’s commitment with the university world takes shape, among other actions,
in its support for the development of over 4,000 universities projects across the world, and in
initiatives such as 21,000 grants and other aids to foster studies, research, social inclusion,
university mobility and the incorporation of university students to the labour market. More
information on Santander Universities is available at www.santander.com/universities.
Further information:
Santander Universities Communications
Ana Núñez | Sonia Pérez | Marta Gallardo
+34 615 90 29 46 | +34 615 90 74 04 | +34 615 371 838
comunicadgsu@gruposantander.com | www.santander.com/universities
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