Business studies student, Pranim Gurung, is getting ready to embark on a postgraduate qualification thanks to continued support from the Santander Scholars Programme.
The programme is supporting 100 full-time students from universities across the UK, who are due to graduate in 2025 and who are typically under-represented in higher education. The initiative is designed to reduce barriers to university study and includes opportunities to access networking events, work placements and mentoring.
While Pranim took up the scholarship in the second year of his undergraduate degree in business and management, he will be able to make use of the third and final year of funding to progress to a Master’s in Organisational Project Management. He said: “Studying for a Master’s was always something I had in the back of my mind to do, but I didn’t think I’d be able to do it straight after completing my undergraduate degree. It wouldn’t have been possible without the support from the Santander Scholars Programme and I am very grateful for the opportunity.”
Pranim, who is the first person in his family to attend university, will start his Master’s in September. In the meantime, he will benefit from a two-week work experience at Santander’s headquarters in Milton Keynes, where he will work across the bank’s wealth management, commercial and financial crime teams.
In July Pranim also joined other Santander scholars from around the UK for a trip to Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello, Italy. The three-day trip included career talks, opportunities to find out more about production and manufacturing and how high-performing teams work together. It also included a talk by Maya Weug, the first female driver to be part of Ferrari’s Driver Academy.
Pranim said: “The trip was an unforgettable experience and gave me a chance to build my networks, experience a new culture and gain insights into an organisation operating in a highly competitive industry.”
