Freie Universität Berlin Student Receives Huge Scholarship from Santander

Last year, Santander Germany celebrated the tenth anniversary of its Santander Universities division in Germany with the “Sorgenfrei [No Worries] Scholarship.” Santander held a random drawing among all applicants for a scholarship worth 10,000 euros. Now the winner has been announced: Merve-Fatma Calis from Freie Universität Berlin. “The scholarship means a great relief for me in writing my master’s thesis because with the help of the scholarship I can finance the necessary technical equipment and acquire quite a lot of additional literature,” explains Merve-Fatma Calis, who is currently studying primary education in her fifth semester at Freie Universität Berlin.

Alberto Dörr, Head of Santander Universities Germany, is also pleased that the scholarship means such a relief for the student: “We have been working intensively in Germany since 2012 to facilitate access to education for all. I am convinced that we have drawn a great student in Ms. Calis, and I am very glad that she can now focus fully on her final thesis.” Just in time for the handover of the check, the second call for the Santander Sorgenfrei Scholarship will start, where once again a student from Germany will have the opportunity to secure a grant of 10,000 euros for their studies.

Santander Germany has been cooperating with Freie Universität Berlin since 20

Santander Germany and Freie Universität Berlin have shared close ties since 2017. The business unit sponsors twenty German scholarships at the university each year and provides the scholarship holders with mentoring and close advising about their professional development. “Furthermore, Santander supports the university in its annual Freie Universität Berlin International Summer and Winter University (FUBiS), in which scholarships are awarded to international students for the program,” explains Herbert Grieshop, director of International Affairs at Freie Universität Berlin. In recent years, numerous students from all over the world have been able to travel to Berlin, get to know the German capital, and gain experience abroad during their studies.

Santander Universities is a global initiative to promote education and entrepreneurship. For a quarter of a century, Santander has been committed to higher education worldwide, funding and supporting students, university graduates, and faculty. In addition, there are special scholarships and programs for start-ups, young professionals, and executives. “The Santander Banking Group is the world’s largest private sponsor of higher education and has been involved in more than thirty countries for more than twenty-five years through its Santander Universities division. We are providing funding in the areas of education, employability, and entrepreneurship,” explains Dörr. This also includes continuing education for employees (#neverstoplearning), language support, or funding for start-ups. Since 1996, Santander Universities has supported more than 630,000 students, professionals, start-ups, and small and medium-sized enterprises worldwide. The bank has provided more than two billion euros for these purposes and has entered into cooperation agreements with more than one thousands universities and academic institutions in eleven countries.