Davidson College and Barings, a Charlotte-based financial services firm with a global scope, have announced a three-year partnership.
The new relationship, the first of its kind for the college, will provide students with research, mentorship and training opportunities, as well as new avenues for community service.
“With a mission centered on leadership and service, Davidson is producing graduates who are global thinkers, intellectually curious and full of integrity,” Tom Finke, Barings chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “At Barings, we recognize these are vital skills for the future of the work force. We are looking forward to working with Davidson on projects that will foster the next generation of employees, enhance innovation and help the greater Charlotte area.”
Davidson College President Carol Quillen echoed the firm's excitement.
“We are grateful to Barings for this multifaceted partnership that spans academics, service and athletics,” she said in a statement. “With the firm’s resources, employees and ideas, we can collaborate across areas of innovation, career development and service to better serve our students and community at large.”
Julie Goff, general manger of the Jay Hurt Hub@Davidson, explained in further detail what this new relationship would bring to campus.
"One of the biggest ways we're going to be partnering with Barings is through student/faculty research, specifically the Barings Investment Institute, their macro economic, geopolitical research mechanism that helps them think through what are the big things that impact investment decisions," Goff told Charlotte Inno.
The partnership will also utilize insight and participation from the college's economics faculty.
Additionally, Barings will work with the Hub to enrich its community work with startups. The move not only benefits the community with its resources, but also the corporation's own investor clients, Goff explained.
"They're really excited to help us grow what we're doing here ... getting our ecosystem going," she said.
Barings involvement with Davidson isn't just relegated to the economics. In fact, its name will have a presence at the college's sport venues, such as Richard Stadium and John M. Belk Arena. Then, there's planned career recruiting for students and a community impact initiative, which includes work (in part) with the Davidson Impact Fellows program.
Goff said that the partnership was established through the work of the school's new Corporate Engagement Team. It contains top leaders from the Hubb (Goff herself), the Center for Civic Engagement and the athletics department.
"We work really closely [to define] what are the ways we can band together and create a unique [offering] ... for those partners," Goff said, adding that Barings was just the first in a potential string of work with other corporations.
That Barings was the first, Goff added, was because of relationship building between Quillen and Finke, who viewed their respective institutions as united by similar core values.
"[Both] are committed to excellence and doing good things in the world," Goff said.
