Former Netflix executive and tech pioneer makes $4.15m (£3.235m) donation to fund scholarships and student entrepreneurship at Durham University
New sustainability-focused scholarships will be established and student entrepreneurship enhanced thanks to a $4.15m (£3.235m) donation to Durham University from tech pioneer and former Netflix executive Neil Hunt.
Dr Hunt, who studied at Durham in the 1980s, became Netflix’s first Chief Product Officer in 1999 and helped make the streaming service one of the world’s most recognisable brands.
He donated $3.5 million to the University in 2019, to help more women access leadership roles in the tech sector and establish new scholarships for students from low income backgrounds.
Dr Hunt’s latest donation, made with his partner Julie Raymond, will fund PhD scholarships aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Hunt-Raymond Innovation Programme, which will support student entrepreneurship.
It will also support science students to gain industry experience, establish a Futures in STEM initiative to support young people from low income backgrounds to study Computer Science at Durham, and support his old college, Collingwood College.
Dr Hunt said: “I am passionate about using technology to achieve good for society, and widening access to tech, for women and for people from disadvantaged backgrounds. To be able to support Durham University’s outstanding work in these areas is a privilege. I look forward to seeing the great results that will come in the years ahead.”
Professor Karen O’Brien, Vice-Chancellor of Durham University, said: “This generous donation will significantly enhance our ability to nurture diverse talent and drive innovation and entrepreneurship. We are immensely grateful to Dr Hunt and Ms Raymond for their continued support.”
The new donation will build on the work of the Hunt Programme, established five years ago to inspire the next generation of technology leaders.
Previous initiatives included the Anne-Marie Imafidon (AMI) Women in Technology programme, scholarships in Computer Science, global internships through Collingwood College, and a pioneering Careers and Internships programme for computer science students.
Dr Hunt was an undergraduate and postgraduate student at Durham University in the 1980s. Since leaving Netflix in 2018, he has been involved in founding, funding and advising several start-up businesses with a strong social purpose. He received an honorary degree from Durham University in 2019.
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