Refugee pays UK student bursaries

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An Iraqi refugee who sought asylum in Britain is to fund one of the biggest scholarship schemes to have been launched for UK university students.

Property developer Naim Dangoor, who left Iraq for the UK in the 1960s, says he wants the £3m donation to be a way of expressing his gratitude.

He will contribute towards bursaries for 4,000 students in subjects including science and maths.

University leader Paul Wellings praised this "generous donation".

"I promised myself that if I was ever able to help a British university student I would, to assist the native people of the country that welcomed me. But I never dreamt I would be able to make such a big contribution," said Dr Dangoor.

Engineering graduate

The scholarships, to be launched on Tuesday, will be for students at leading research universities in the UK - belonging either to the Russell Group or the 1994 Group.

The £1,000 bursaries, given in addition to other existing financial support, will be for students taking the so-called "STEM" subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths.

Dr Dangoor, now aged 95, studied engineering at university in London in the 1930s, before returning to Iraq, where he developed a property and manufacturing business.

He left Iraq amid political upheavals in the 1960s - leaving behind his business and seeking refuge in the UK.

Starting again, Dr Dangoor created another property business in the UK. This has funded a number of causes, including a community centre for other immigrants in west London, sponsoring an Academy in Westminster and supporting a journal for the Jewish Iraqi community.

The £3m donated by Dr Dangoor will be supplemented by additional funding from the government - with the awards to be called "Eliahou Dangoor Scholarships", after the sponsor's father.

The scholarships will be administered by individual universities and will be targeted at students from the UK beginning courses next autumn.

Students 'unaware'

Paul Wellings, chairman of the 1994 Group of universities, welcomed the extra money to support students as a "tremendous addition".

But he expressed concern over the lack of students' understanding over the complex range of bursaries and grants.

"We are concerned that some students, particularly from poorer backgrounds, may be put off from applying to university because of misinformation or lack of understanding about the generous support available," he said.

Wendy Piatt, head of the Russell Group of universities, praised this "magnificent scheme".

"We hope more people will be prompted to consider studying science and maths-based subjects at the UK's leading universities.

"Although there has been a welcome increase in science and maths students in recent years, we have been deeply concerned by the long term decline in students taking these subjects at A-level and beyond."