Cowie scholars gather to celebrate legacy | The University of Sunderland

Published on 4, November, 2025

Group of people standing — (L-R): Alex Hallimond (2015, Applied Business Management); Azman Mohammed (current Cowie Scholar, Accounting and Finance); Nicola Robinson (2020, Primary Education); Chris Curtis (2023, Business & Management); Zoe O'Connor (2022, Secondary Education); Amanda Brannen (2025, Primary Education); Lauren Coxon (2024, Primary Education); Lucy Almond (2021, Primary Education); Lady Cowie and Sir David Bell; Mathew Feltoe (2015, Mechanical Engineering); Connor Dickinson (2017, Mechanical Engineering); Vicky Graham (2019, Primary Teaching) and Jake Judson (current Cowie Scholar, Modern Music Industries)

Alumni and current students, all connected by the legacy of a great north-east entrepreneur, have gathered at the University for the thirteenth annual Sir Tom Cowie Scholars dinner.

Many of the twenty-five former Sir Tom Cowie Scholars, and this year’s Sir Tom Cowie Sunderland Award winners Accounting and Finance student Azman Mohammed and Modern Music Industries student Jake Judson (and Jake's mum, former Cowie Scholar, Vicky Graham), joined the Vice-Chancellor Sir David Bell, Lady Cowie and David Gray, Chairman of Trustees of The Sir Tom Cowie Charitable Trust, to celebrate at City Campus.

The award was established in memory of the Wearside-born entrepreneur who died in 2012, aged 89. Sir Tom Cowie was a long-term supporter of the University and passionately believed in its principles of affording those with talent, regardless of background, the opportunity to enter higher education. As part of his legacy, the Sir Tom Cowie Sunderland Award was established to support students in achieving their full potential.

Over £300,000 has been awarded to Sunderland students since the awards were established in 2012.

This year’s awards are now open to applications from full-time undergraduates at the University of Sunderland studying either Arts, Business, Education, Engineering or Music programmes, who are at the end of their penultimate year (second year for standard programmes or third year for four-year programmes) of their studies. You must be from the City of Sunderland in order to apply.

Successful candidates will receive up to £12,500.

For more details on the Sir Tom Cowie Sunderland Award, a full list of eligible courses, and how to apply go to: https://alumni.sunderland.ac.uk/Scholarships/Sir-Tom-Cowie-Scholarship