At Banco Santander we are firmly committed to progress and inclusive sustainable growth, and we have had a long-standing commitment to higher education over the last 27 years, which sets us apart from the world's other financial institutions.

Our unique and pioneering commitment to supporting education, employability and entrepreneurship involves contributing to the progress of individuals and companies by helping them to improve employability and career prospects. Over the years, we have received multiple awards from international institutions such as the Varkey Foundation and the Global Compact Network Spain.

In 2023 we have been recognised as one of the companies that has made the biggest contribution to changing the world for the better, according to the magazine Fortune ‘Change the World’ 2023, which publishes an annual list of 50 companies helping to solve some of the biggest social challenges. We are the first bank in the ranking and we made the list thanks to our support for education, employability and entrepreneurship.

We help adults prosper through hundreds of free scholarships and training programs. We do so not only during their university years but also at later stages, as lifelong learning is fundamental amid of a job market in constant change. We also support companies to create opportunities, consolidate and grow with training and resources.

Universia International Rectors´ Summit

Access to all the information about the five Universia summits

more than
27 years

supporting education, employability and entrepreneurship

+ 2.3 billion

euros invested in 27 years

+ 1.5 million

people and companies helped in 27 years

+ 1.200 universities,

institutions and organisations from 26 countries

more than
27 years

supporting education, employability and entrepreneurship

+ 2.3 billion

euros invested in 27 years

+ 1.5 million

people and companies helped in 27 years

+ 1.200 universities,

institutions and organisations from 26 countries

In 2023 alone we invested 105 million euros and supported more than 498,000 people and companies. In addition, we plan to invest a further 400 million euro between 2023 and 2026.

“When society invests in education, it grows sustainably, is more open and diverse, creates opportunity for everyone, and can tackle the conflicts and challenges of the future. Santander decided, 27 years ago, to focus our efforts on supporting education, employability and education because there is no better social investment”.

Ana Botín, Banco Santander executive chair

“We help people and businesses by offering them continuous training, which is key in today’s ever-shifting job market. We promote lifelong learning through hundreds of grants, courses and free content so people can adapt to transforming landscapes and even change career”.

Javier Roglá, global head of Santander Universities

At the bank we support education, employability and entrepreneurship through different initiatives:

Education

Support for education is one of our three pillars, encouraging access to university, training and the resources necessary for the university students, and helping to the institutional transformation, mainly in the digital field. We do this through:

  • Collaboration agreements with more than 1,200 universities, institutions and organizations in 26 countries. The university has a decisive role for people to update their professional skills throughout life and are key as a driver of change in the promotion of innovative initiatives, through the creation of new companies.

  • MetaRed, a collaborative project that forms a network of heads of Ibero-American Higher Education Institutions (IES), both public and private. It is a space for reflection on three of the main challenges for universities in terms of digital transformation (MetaRed TIC), university entrepreneurship (MetaRed X) and sustainability (MetaRed ESG).

  • Campus Digital offers universities a new model for engaging with students. With an easy and simple digital experience, it improves university life by streamlining the management and communications of the university community, adapting to the needs of users and ensuring data privacy. Among the services offered we find the digital credential and access control, tuition payment, qualifications, schedules and discounts, among others.

Employability

One of our axes of action is the promotion of the employability of people through access to university, the promotion of professional skills and access to the labor market. And we do it through 3 initiatives:

  • Santander Open Academy, formerly Santander Scholarships, a global learning and professional development platform that offers scholarships and job skills training for people of all ages. It offers grants and scholarships for top institutions all over the world, fully subsidized courses and free learning for skills in high demand.

  • Universia, our initiative to help universities and training centres connect young people with companies so they can find a job. And we do this by accompanying universities and training centers so that their students and graduates find quality employment, in addition to connecting companies with new talent, favoring employability.

  • Fundación Universia, a global torch-bearer in diversity, equity and inclusion, which participates in international forums of the United Nations, the International Labour Organization and UNESCO. We accelerate the transformation of higher education through communities and drive diversity, inclusion and equity in educational and work environments.

Entrepreneurship

Companies are our third focus of action, making it easier for entrepreneurs to create and market their own companies.

  • Santander X, where we help small business owners and SMEs create opportunity, take root and grow. We provide access to the training, advice and resources needed to launch and scale up a business. We help entrepreneurs give visibility to the most outstanding projects, and to connect with other businesses through a global community. We offer programs and initiatives for entrepreneurial projects, startups, scaleups and SMEs.  

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