University drinks to $1 million Coke boost

GIFTED students from Eastern Europe are being lured to study in the Capital thanks to a $1 million donation from soft drinks giant Coca-Cola.

The sum is the biggest single donation ever given to an Edinburgh University scholarship aimed at attracting foreign students to the city.

The money from the Coca-Cola Foundation - amounting to more than 610,000 - will allow ten students from Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Russia and the Ukraine to take up degree courses at the university over the next five years.

The donation came after the university approached the foundation for funds and will give scholarships to talented students with strong academic records who are unable to afford to study for a degree.

Edinburgh University officials said despite annually giving out more than 2.5 million in scholarships to students from both the UK and abroad, it was the largest single amount they had received towards their international awards programme.

Craig Mathieson, Edinburgh University international office director, said they hoped to extend the scholarship scheme in eastern Europe following the donation.

He added:

"The scholarships are primarily for people with great ability but who can’t afford to go to university themselves. They have universities in Eastern Europe but it is very hard to get in because of the volume of students - there just aren’t enough places.

"We aim to bring people to their fullest potential and then they can hopefully take the expertise they have learned back to their own country to help their community."

Two students, who are yet to be chosen, will start at the university in October, with further pairs beginning over the next five years.

Martin Norris, Coca-Cola communications director for Britain and Ireland, said it was the first time the decade-old foundation had given money to students in eastern Europe.

He added: "We have not repeated this offer to any other universities in the UK. We decided to make the donation to Edinburgh University because we have an interest in Eastern Europe as we have a company in Athens.

"The mission of the Coca-Cola Foundation is to improve the quality of life in the community and enhance individual opportunity through education.

"We support education programmes primarily within three main areas: higher education, classroom teaching and learning, and international education. Our programmes support scholarships for aspiring students, encourage and motivate young people to stay in school and foster cultural understanding."

Over the last decade, the foundation has contributed more than 75.8m in support of education.

Sandy Allan, Coca-Cola Europe president and chief operating officer, said the company was "delighted" to be supporting "this important initiative".

He added: "We have built successful local businesses in central and eastern Europe together with our partner, Coca-Coca Hellenic Bottling Company.

"I am sure the students who come to Edinburgh will return and make hugely valuable contributions to the further development of their countries."

Catrin Tilley, Edinburgh University’s director of development and alumni, said scholarships were vital to attracting the best talent to the city.

"At present, only a small proportion of highly-qualified overseas students, who enquire about studying at Edinburgh, actually take up a place. This is often due to lack of funds to cover living expenses and fees.

"The generous donation from Coca-Cola will allow a number of these young people, who wouldn’t otherwise have had the opportunity, to benefit from an experience that could greatly shape their lives and the communities they live in."