Philanthropic impact
O
ur alumni and friends, including those who were members of the former Convocation, play a vital role in the University’s mission to enable access to education and deliver academic excellence. We are incredibly grateful for the continued support shown by our community over the past year.
We are delighted to report on some recent initiatives funded through philanthropic support from the University’s alumni and friends, as well as through donations to the Convocation Trust.
The Convocation Trust, which was constituted in 1953 with funds provided from members of Convocation, continues to be supported by generous donations from alumni and philanthropists. Over the years, the Trust has awarded grants to a variety of projects to support the University and its Member Institutions, such as student scholarships, academic research, one-off events and commemorative projects, or facility improvements to enhance the student experience (see page 14 for further information).
University receives a landmark gift in support of scholarships In 2020, the University was honoured to receive a historic pledge of £1.2 million in support of scholarships for distance and flexible learning students from LLM alumnus József Váradi, co-founder and CEO of Wizz Air. Over the next 10 years, this landmark gift – the largest given towards scholarships by any living individual in the University’s 185-year history – will directly support up to 100 students to access education by providing a full scholarship to cover the cost of their tuition fees. When asked about his motivation to give back to the University, József said: “Similarly to my professional life, I wanted to find the highest return on investment. I want people to live a better life and I’m eager to contribute to it with my intellectual and financial capacity.” A believer in the University’s mission to widen access to education, József decided to donate towards student scholarships and give others the opportunity to follow in his footsteps by studying for a University of London degree. “The scholarship is an enabler to make a difference for those who are keen to learn and develop themselves”, said József. “In my mind, there is no better investment than investing in the education of people who are naturally driven. As the saying goes, you give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, or you teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
“ Learning about the
Internet of Things has been a passion to me, but I was limited financially. Thanks to the Váradi Scholarship, my aspirations are becoming reality.
”
The University received in the region of 1,500 applications for the 10 Váradi Scholarships on offer in the 2020-21 academic year, highlighting just how much need there is for scholarship support. The first Váradi Scholarship recipients are all undergraduate students, studying BSc Computer Science, BSc Psychology and BSc Business and Law, and hail from Bangladesh, Brazil, Czech Republic, Kenya, Kosovo, Malawi, Nigeria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. We are sincerely grateful to József for his generosity and for the life-changing impact these scholarships will have on our students.
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Convocation Newsletter Autumn/Winter 2020-21
Olawale Juwon, BSc Computer Science student and recipient of a Váradi Scholarship.
