Northeastern University has signed an agreement with The Santander Group to join a collaboration of international universities that will further expand experiential learning opportunities for Northeastern students.

The partnership, thanks to a generous donation from Banco Santander, will extend Northeastern’s Bachelor of Science in International Business (BSIB) program to Brazil.

The unique BSIB program, established in 1994, offers students an opportunity to both study and work overseas in the language of the host country, building upon Northeastern’s long-established strengths as one of the originators of cooperative education. By training students to become future global managers, the program develops highly qualified professionals who bring a more competitive edge in world markets to U.S. corporations.

On a local level, it strengthens international education, attracts talented students and encourages inter-collegiate collaboration at Northeastern.

The innovative BSIB program — currently operating in eight countries — aims to broaden students’ cross-cultural awareness, increase their knowledge of a foreign language, and bolster their understanding of international business practices.

Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun and Santander Chairman Emilio Botin signed the agreement April 29 at a special ceremony at the Egan Research Center. Aoun said this is the beginning of a strong partnership, one that builds upon Northeastern’s cooperative education model and dedication to experiential learning across the world.

“From our perspective, it fits extremely well with what we are trying to do,” Aoun said.
“We believe it is not possible and it is not enough to have an education that is confined to a physical perimeter,” Aoun continued. “In fact, we believe the world is too interesting to ignore.”

The Santander Group, headquartered in Spain, is one of the world’s largest banking groups. Through its Universities program, Santander has forged long-term partnerships through collaboration agreements in academic, technological and financial fields with 725 universities across the world.

In addition to Northeastern, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Tufts University have signed similar partnership agreements.