Chancellor congratulates graduating scholars

BSc (Hons) Accounting & Finance students Forida Uddin, 20, from Leeds; Liam Hawksworth, 22, from Barnsley; Amir Shahzad, 37, from Batley;  and  Danielle Leonard, 21, from Alnwick,  were all awarded £1,000 by Sir Bob two years ago, whilst in their first year, to help support their studies.

Sir Bob said: “All the students have paid me back in full with a big bonus and I’m so proud of them all. I wish them all the best in what I’m sure will be very successful careers, which they fully deserve.”

Sir Bob recently announced this year’s five scholars: BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance students Saeed Muthana, 27, from Leeds, Jugraj Singh Bhadal, 18, from Leeds, Jamie Howarth, 19, from Overton, Wakefield, Louise Wade, 18, from Quebec, County Durham, and Billy Haigh 19, from Sheffield, who is studying BA (Hons) Economics for Business.

Sir Bob was installed as Chancellor of Leeds Beckett University in January 2013. Following his inauguration he pledged to personally donate £30,000 over the course of six years to worthy students. Five £1,000 scholarships are awarded each year to deserving undergraduate students on courses related to the subject which Sir Bob himself studied; accountancy.

Sir Bob’s links with the university go back to 1969 when he moved to Yorkshire to study accountancy part-time at the university's predecessor institution, Leeds Polytechnic. Some years later, in 2008, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in business administration for his contribution to business and sport. He is probably best known for his chairmanship of Sunderland AFC, but he has been a leading business figure in Yorkshire for the last 45 years; he is also heavily involved with charitable causes and is a passionate supporter of education.