provide housing and financial support through subsidized loans for The mission of the UniCredit & Universities Foundation11 is in fact
customers, employees and their families. to promote economic research and to support students in the fields
of economics, finance, law, politics and the social sciences. These
Moreover, our bank took economic recovery measures, such as instituting endeavors are carried out through our strong network of partnerships
a zero-expense policy on preliminary credit screening processes, with leading universities in Europe and the United States.
suspending mortgages and facilitating redundancy payments.
The UniCredit & Universities Foundation offers several scholarships,
To maintain close contact, our retail and corporate customers were fellowships and other grants in economics and finance every year
provided with customer care and communications services through to the best European students. UniCredit has invested more than
our regular and mobile branches. Moreover, in addition to staying € 5.2 million in the UniCredit & Universities Foundation since
up to date on the situation on the ground, our UniCredit managers it was founded in 2009, to support 132 talented students and
visited the affected areas. researchers, 46 of whom received funding in 2012.
In addition to UniCredit’s direct contributions, affected areas also The foundation launched 17 competitions in 2012 for students from
received donations via several fundraising efforts. Through a dedicated the 22 countries where UniCredit operates. In line with its 2012
current account, customers, noncustomers and employees were able priorities, among these competitions the foundation expanded its
to donate via UniCredit’s branches, ATMs and online banking channels. UniCredit Study-Abroad Exchange Programme to seven UniCredit CEE
Moreover our employees were particularly able to offer further countries: Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
support to citizens in the provinces of Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy Russia, Serbia and Ukraine. The competition awarded 22 grants for
and Veneto through such special channels and initiatives as Dai il students to spend six months studying abroad.
tuo contributo (Make Your Contribution), a one-time deduction from
employees’ salaries. Moreover, a fundraising campaign was launched Moreover, the foundation’s broad program of initiatives in 2013
by the banking sector in coordination with the trade unions and the will be enriched as a result of having forged an agreement with
Italian Banking Association (ABI), and was managed by the Prosolidar the Associazione Borsisti Marco Fanno. With this partnership
Foundation. Through these efforts, as of March 2013, more than €1.3 comes new responsibilities - to support Marco Fanno Alumni and
million was raised in support of local institutions and organizations to extend its alumni network to our own UniCredit & Universities
carrying out projects targeting youth, families and the elderly both in Foundation, Crivelli and Foscolo fellows. In 2013, the foundation
support of emergency and reconstruction phases. will also offer students enrolled in master’s programs at select
European universities opportunities to participate in trainee or
Our Saper Essere Saper Fare pilot project is also worth noting, internship programs at several UniCredit legal entities.
which is the result of an agreement between UniCredit and the
F CUS
Emilia-Romagna Regional Education Office and the Mantua
Territorial Education Office, in cooperation with Italy’s Ministry of
Education, Universities and Research. The pilot will support projects
for students during the 2012-2013 academic year, and will feature
educational and recreational activity programs to ensure that
students continue to attend school. Together with local institutions,
My Europe
48 projects will be awarded €345,000 from the funds raised
through UniCredit’s current accounts created for emergencies. In 2012, UniCredit partnered with the Institute for Corporate
Culture Affairs (ICCA) and the Frankfurter Zukunftsrat (future think
In terms of non-cash contributions, UniCredit Leasing provided tank) to promote the My Europe competition for journalists.
shovels for clearing debris in the town of Finale Emilia. The initiative brings together students, political figures and media
representatives in 29 European countries for a workshop series,
to forge cross-border communication networks and to cultivate
Cultural development among students a strong sense of belonging to Europe.
Beyond providing basic access to the financial world and responding UniCredit was the main partner of the first My Europe event in
to concrete social concerns, UniCredit also encourages the cultural Italy, which included 24 students from the University of Parma and
development of communities both through educational initiatives and the University of Naples in a two-day workshop at the UniCredit
support for artistic expression. In our global, knowledge-based economy, headquarters in Milan. They attended lectures led by European
a well-educated population is essential to the growth of innovative and experts and journalists from Il Sole 24 Ore and Il Corriere della Sera
competitive communities and to secure our sustainable future. together with top managers from UniCredit.
In February 2013, UniCredit Bank AG became a partner in the
Shaping tomorrow’s communities second My Europe event in Germany, where 50 Bavarian students
As a bank, we are well aware of the potential of young talent. This is attended a two-day workshop in Munich at both HVB Forum and the
why we support a number of academic initiatives to foster the personal offices of Süddeutsche Zeitung, the competition’s media partner in
and professional development of students, the leaders of tomorrow. Germany. For more information visit My Europe initiative website.
11. Refer to the UniCredit & Universities Foundation website for more information.
UniCredit · 2012 Sustainability Report 67