Talented new students at Essex are to benefit from the largest private scholarship scheme in the UK.

The ground-breaking £1,000 Eliahou Dangoor Scholarships are for talented students who wish to study science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) at university.

The scholarships were launched with a £3 million donation from Dr Naim Dangoor, a successful property developer, and will help thousands of students, mostly from underprivileged backgrounds, to study vital science and maths-based subjects in the 38 leading research-intensive universities in the country that are members of the 1994 Group and Russell Group, including Essex.

Matched funding from the government is expected to bring the total funding available to £4 million. For the University this means it can award the £1,000 scholarship to 99 students over the next three years.

Dr Dangoor has said that this scholarship, named in honour of his father Eliahou Dangoor, is his way of thanking the country that gave him refuge after he left Iraq in the 1960s. It is hoped that this ambitious scheme will encourage more young people to consider studying STEM subjects at one of the country’s leading universities.

This donation from Dr Dangoor follows a £1 million donation he made four years ago to fund a similar scholarship scheme, which helped 59 promising students at Essex.
Welcoming the scholarship scheme, Dominic Boyd, head of Development and Alumni Relations at Essex, said: ‘The University is delighted to benefit from Mr Naim Dangoor’s on-going support for higher education in the UK.
‘These scholarships will be a great opportunity for talented students to study at Essex.’

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Note to Editors:

For more information contact the University of Essex Communications Office on 01206 872400 or e-mail comms@essex.ac.uk

1) The Eliahou Dangoor scholarships will be administered by each 1994 Group and Russell Group university. To qualify for the £1,000 scholarship students must be:
 Due to enter their first year of study at either a Russell Group or 1994 Group university
 Taking a course in a STEM subject - all of the specific courses which qualify for the scholarship will be outlined on each university’s website
 Be a UK home student who will pay tuition fees
2) To ensure the maximum number of students are aware of the scholarship, leaflets and posters are being distributed to state schools across the country. Both the Russell Group and 1994 Group will also be providing their own ‘Eliahou Dangoor scholarships’ pages on their websites, which will include information on the number of scholarships available, criteria for students, and how to apply.