Education
MBA fundings and scholarship with University of Oxford
Intesa Sanpaolo has renewed its partnership (established in 2019) with the University of Oxford and its business school, the Saïd Business School—a provider of one of the world’s most prestigious MBA (Master in Business Administration) degrees—for another five years. This partnership with Oxford includes, among other initiatives, scholarship funding from Intesa Sanpaolo for Master’s Degree students and the introduction, this year, of the Oxford-Intesa Sanpaolo Prize.
Access to quality education is transformative for individuals and societies. Thanks to the vision of Intesa Sanpaolo, Oxford Saïd has been able to admit bright young leaders from across the globe and enhance not only their lives but also the communities they come from.
Saïd is an inclusive school within one of the world’s finest universities, which strives to give the most deserving students access to an exceptional education. Since its inception, Oxford Saïd has been committed to providing the brightest economics and management students with a world-class education, regardless of their economic background, social class or gender.
The Saïd-Intesa Sanpaolo scholarships contribute significantly to achieving greater equality and equitable access to managerial training and education.
Thanks to Intesa Sanpaolo’s support, the Saïd Business School has a significant number of women from all over the world among its students. Of the just over 300 MBA programme students, 93 percent are international students—from 63 countries of origin—and nearly half (48 percent) are women.
Scholarships promoting women’s empowerment
“The Intesa Sanpaolo scholarship has been a pivotal in my journey”, explains Malvika Gaekwad, an Indian-born computer engineer studying for her MBA at Saïd. “is not just financial assistance; it is a beacon of hope and a symbol of empowerment, for women like me, who strive to make a difference in the world. It has reinforced my belief that education and funding support can transform lives, uplift communities, and break down barriers. Your investment in education resonates in the communities we touch and the impact we create”.
Gaekwad, who for family reasons lived in Arab countries for a long time and is aware of just how difficult the path to women’s empowerment can really be, founded an agritech start-up in India with a 60% female workforce and, as a way of giving back for the support she has received, plans to “continue advocating for gender equality, mentoring young entrepreneurs and expanding access to education”.
To underline the importance of scholarships in the growth and success of young managers, on 8 March 2024 (coinciding with International Women’s Day), Oxford University’s Centre for Corporate Reputation held a special event aimed at Intesa Sanpaolo MBA funding recipients from around the world.
The Oxford-Intesa Sanpaolo Prize for Economics & Management
As part of our partnership with the University of Oxford, this year we sponsored the first Oxford-Intesa Sanpaolo Prize for Economics & Management, for second-year students on the BA (Bachelor of Arts) Economics and Management degree, in collaboration with the Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation, an independent research centre within the University’s Saïd Business School.
The prizes were awarded for the best ‘op-ed’ on the subject: ‘Does responsible business require more formal regulatory intervention?’ The winners, Lucas Rollinson (first), Tinu Reji (second) and Emma Higginson (third), were celebrated on Tuesday 7 May at a dinner at Oxford Saïd, co-hosted by Stefano Lucchini, Chief Institutional Affairs and External Communication Officer at Intesa Sanpaolo and Jacques Moscianese, Executive Director Institutional Affairs at Intesa Sanpaolo, with the awards presented by Mauro Micillo - Chief of IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division. In addition to cash prizes, Emma Higginson was awarded an internship at Intesa Sanpaolo’s offices in Brussels this summer.
Emma said: "The Oxford-Intesa Sanpaolo prize was a fantastic opportunity to consider different points of view surrounding such a topical debate. I am incredibly excited to intern with Intesa this summer: from gaining invaluable banking experience to learning about EU working culture, I know that it will be very helpful for my transition to the working world post-graduation".
Best Dissertation 2023 awarded to an Intesa Sanpaolo-backed researcher
Last year, the partnership between the University of Oxford and Intesa Sanpaolo contributed to a significant academic achievement. Samuel Mortimer—a young researcher and recipient of an Intesa Sanpaolo scholarship—won the 2023 prize for Best Dissertation awarded by the University of Oxford’s Centre for Corporate Reputation (CCP), the University’s independent research centre.
Mortimer, who is the first candidate from the University of Oxford to receive this award in its 13-year history, was honoured for his dissertation, “Work: A Philosophical Investigation”, completed while he was a doctoral student at the Wharton School in Philadelphia, considered one of the most prestigious management schools in the world. A paper derived from Mortimer’s work entitled “What Makes Work Meaningful?” has already been published in the Journal of Business Ethics.
Last updated 29 July 2024
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