UK’s academic excellence pays dividends in Spain

LSE Enterprise with UKTI Bilbao's help has come to an agreement with CajAstur, designed to provide world-class opportunities for the future leaders of Asturias.

Ten young professionals from Asturias will come to the London School of Economics (LSE) for ten weeks in October 2010, to undertake a comprehensive programme on Finance and International Political Economy. CajAstur, an Asturian bank will also sponsor up to four ‘Becas de Excelencia’ Scholarships for those students gaining places at LSE to study master’s programmes.

This is a result of a project which started with one day visit programme to Bilbao. During this visit, organised by the UKTI team in Bilbao and the Head of CajAstur’s new Think Tank, Antonio Alvarez, of the Economic and Innovation Analysis Unit meetings were held with key players from the business and academic communities.

“We had already worked closely with LSE Enterprise in projects in the Basque Country and recognised that there could be possibilities for replicating some of the business already obtained in that one in the Asturias region”, Derek Doyle, UK Trade & Investment Officer and British Consul in Bilbao.

Following this visit a new programme – “Promoting Talent”, comprising the same contact time of a standard LSE master’s degree but concentrated in 10 weeks, was designed. This customised course combines lectures and specialist seminars by hands-on practitioners, visits to UK institutions such as the Houses of Parliament and the Institute of Fiscal Studies, and LSE’s public lectures by world-renowned speakers. The programme will run for three years in the first instance.

“Without UKTI Bilbao’s insight and initiative in alerting us to this potential business opportunity, LSE Enterprise would not have visited nor thought about the prospects for development in Asturias!” – Adam Austerfield – LSE Enterprise Director for Spain

The participants will experience the intellectual challenge of studying at Europe’s leading social science university. They will study both as a cohort and among other LSE students to help them integrate into university life and develop their English language skills. Interacting with staff and students from over 140 countries will give them a unique comparative and international perspective. They will both live and study in central London, close to the UK’s legal, financial and governmental centres and London’s vibrant cultural life. Upon returning to their region, they will not only have an understanding of finance, management and the global economy, but exposure to critical thinking and the communication and leadership skills to play a significant part in the future of Asturias.

Contacts

Do you want to do business in the Asturias region of Spain? Contact UKTI Bilbao for assistance:

Derek Doyle

Tel: +34 94 415 7711

Email: derek.doyle@fco.gov.uk