Future generations of students are set to benefit from a £1 million gift from Pharma giant Dr Bhikhu Patel and his wife Shashi.

The generous gift by the co-founder of Waymade Plc will be essential to the creation of the University of Bristol’s transformational new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC).

The new campus will revolutionise teaching and learning at Bristol, locating business education with world-class science and engineering research and development.

Bhikhu graduated from Bristol in 1973 with a degree in architecture. After leaving Bristol he followed a career as an architect before taking on a couple of small businesses with his wife. He joined forces with his brother Vijay in the early 80s to develop their rapidly growing pharmacy empire.

In 2001, Bhikhu and Vijay were jointly voted Ernst and Young’s ‘UK Entrepreneur of the Year’ having already won numerous accolades from various top organisations and institutions including ‘Europe’s Top 500 fastest growing companies’.

As well as supporting Bristol’s new campus, the Patels are also providing support to students most in financial need. Through scholarships and bursaries, the Bhikhu and Shashikala Patel Student Support Fund will give much needed support to students, both international and from the UK, to help them during their time at Bristol.

“Education is very important to me. I came to the UK from Kenya with virtually nothing and was the beneficiary of a first-class education,” said Bhikhu.

“I am so grateful for everything education has given me in life. I want others to benefit in the same way – helping the next generation to become entrepreneurs and innovators of the future.”