Community Involvement

July 6, 2011

Emilio Botin, President of Banco Santander, signs partnership agreements

Boston – Sovereign Bank, a part of Banco Santander, announced today its first collaborative agreements with Princeton University and Boston College in support of the development of international academic programs. Sovereign Bank will provide financial support for the initiatives through Santander Universities Global Division, a major corporate social responsibility initiative created by Banco Santander to support higher education and advance the bank's goal of expanding knowledge and experience globally.

Emilio Botin, President of Banco Santander, signed the agreements with Shirley M. Tilghman, President of Princeton University and with William P. Leahy, S.J., President of Boston College, respectively.

"If students wish to participate fully in today's rapidly globalizing world, they need to immerse themselves in the study of other cultures and societies," said Princeton Provost Christopher Eisgruber. "This gift supports Princeton's commitment to provide students with a global perspective and to create collaborative networks that connect students and faculty with peers throughout the world. The support of Sovereign Bank and Banco Santander will facilitate exchanges that will extend Princeton's scholarly energy and educational initiatives into a wide array of international venues."

"Since its founding, the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work has been committed to the international dimensions of social problems and social work," said William P. Leahy, S.J., President of Boston College. "This partnership will enable us to launch an International Doctoral Program in Social Welfare, providing students with an opportunity to critically evaluate the cultural components of social problems and promote strategic solutions. We thank Sovereign and Santander for helping to advance our mission to prepare students for citizenship, service and leadership in a global society."


Princeton University
The agreement with Princeton University will support several multidisciplinary research programs and student mobility programs including the creation of Global Collaborative Networks. This initiative will enhance the collaboration between Princeton scientists and academic centers of excellence that are a part of the Santander Universities network around the world.

A mobility program in support of undergraduate student learning programs abroad will also be launched as part of the agreement. The recipients of this initiative will be selected following the guidelines of the Office of International Programs of the University. In addition, the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies will organize three global seminars. Held abroad, the seminars will explore global cultural and social topics.

The final initiative of the agreement will support a Visiting Students Program that will encourage the participation of international students to engage in faculty-supervised research at Princeton.


Boston College
The agreement with Boston College will establish a new International Doctoral Program in Social Welfare that will include academic partnerships with various Latin American Jesuit universities.

The main objective of the agreement is to provide students from Latin America with the research driven knowledge and expertise of Boston College's Ph.D. program. This will enable the students to implement programs in their home countries and establish and maintain local connections where they are conducting their research. The program's ultimate goal is to elevate the field of Social Welfare in Latin America.


About Santander Universities
Banco Santander's commitment to progress finds its expression in the Santander Universities Global Division, whose activities through local affiliates, such as Sovereign Bank, form the backbone of the bank's social action and enable it to maintain a stable alliance with the academic world. Santander has forged long-term partnerships with more than 900 universities in Latin America, China, Singapore, USA, Spain, Africa, Portugal, United Kingdom, Russia and Singapore.

Santander Universities USA was introduced in the United States in 2008 through Sovereign Bank and has now resulted in agreements with 21 universities and colleges. The program supported 775 scholarships in 2011.

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


About Our Company
Banco Santander (SAN.MC, STD.N) is a retail and commercial bank, headquartered in Spain, with a presence in ten main markets: Spain, Portugal, Germany, the UK, Poland, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and the U.S. Founded in 1857, Santander had $1.665 trillion in managed funds at the end of 2009. Santander has 92 million customers, approximately 14,000 branches – more than any other international bank – and over 170,000 employees. For more information on Santander, visit http://www.santander.com.

Sovereign Bank, a subsidiary of Banco Santander, S.A., is a financial institution with principal markets in the northeastern United States. Sovereign has more than 700 branches, nearly 2,300 ATMs and approximately 8,000 team members. For more information on Sovereign Bank, call 877-SOV-BANK.


Media Contact:
Ed Cafasso
617-757-5573
ecafasso@sovereignbank.com