Faculty of Economics & Business starts FEB Academic Support Fund

The Faculty of Economics & Business has installed the FEB Academic Support Fund. This dedicated fund under the Groningen University Fund (GUF) wants to provide support to fellow students and staff of higher education institutions in times of crisis.

Idea from staff and students

The idea for this fund was born when members of the FEB Faculty Council and Faculty Board met with students and staff to talk about the impact of the invasion of the Ukraine. In addition to helping Ukrainian refugee students and staff, FEB staff and students also wanted to see how FEB can provide support in the future to students and staff that are victims of other crises.

To facilitate this, FEB’s Faculty Board has now installed the FEB Academic Support Fund. The support can take different shapes, for example providing scholarships for study, facilitating short stays, or financially supporting relevant charities or aid initiatives.

Dean Peter Verhoef is proud of the new fund. “FEB's mission is to empower and connect students, academics and external stakeholders to have a joint positive impact. As a higher education institution, obviously our impact will be primarily through teaching and research, but we also aim to have a broader impact in society, beyond science.”

First initiative

The first support initiative facilitated by the fund is the FEB for Ukraine crowdfunding action. All donations will be gifted to the Foundation for Refugee Students UAF, that has been providing support to refugee students and professionals in their studies and in finding suitable employment in the Netherlands since 1948.

FEB wants to support the foundation in its effort to provide perspective for Ukrainian academic refugees in the Netherlands. Any donations made to the fund by FEB colleagues will be matched by the faculty and will be donated to UAF on behalf of the FEB community.

For more information about the crowdfunding campaign, or to make a donation, visit our fundraising page.