INTO University Partnerships and Oregon State University (OSU) are commemorating 15 years of a fruitful partnership that has significantly impacted the educational journey of thousands of international students.
Established in 2008 with the aim to broaden OSU’s international influence, this alliance provides international students with comprehensive academic support and services. This includes direct entry and structured preparatory programmes across all undergraduate disciplines, alongside a diverse selection of postgraduate degrees at the University. OSU boasts a position in the top 1.4% of global universities and ranks within the top 20% in the US for graduate earning potential.
The INTO OSU Centre, positioned on OSU’s historic campus, serves as a dynamic educational nucleus offering an additional layer of academic and personal support through its dedicated staff and faculty.
This pioneering centre in the US has assisted over 11,900 international students from upwards of 155 nations in achieving academic excellence in their chosen fields. Students supported by INTO OSU have also successfully represented all 11 of OSU’s academic colleges at the doctoral level.
Edward Feser, Provost and Executive Vice President at Oregon State University and INTO OSU Board Member, remarked: “In 15 years of collaboration, the INTO Oregon State University partnership helped bring more than 12,000 international students to OSU. This has strengthened the university by enriching the intercultural experiences of domestic students; providing support for faculty hires, infrastructure, and study abroad opportunities; influencing improvements to our academic program mix; and elevating OSU’s global visibility and brand.”
John Sykes, CEO of INTO University Partnerships, stated: “Our partnership with Oregon State University marked a real breakthrough moment in US public universities’ approach to internationalizing the student experience. We could not be prouder of our partnership and what it has accomplished. It has been a privilege to watch the life-changing experiences this great American university has delivered to the thousands of Chinese students who made Corvallis their home.”
Bob Gilmour, INTO OSU’s Executive Director, expressed: “At INTO OSU, we’re so proud of the students we have supported over the last 15 years and the range of academic, personal, and professional successes that they have gone on to achieve. Over that time, it’s really been an honor to have been a part of a team of people at INTO OSU that shows up every day to put students first and provide them with the support and experience that they deserve.
“With both INTO and OSU’s combined efforts, this pioneering Centre has played a significant role in raising the standards and expectations for international student support in higher education from application to graduation and beyond. And as a team, we at INTO OSU look forward to the next 15 years with as much passion and excitement as the day this innovative model was conceived.”
The collaboration continues to report outstanding student satisfaction and retention figures. In 2020, OSU introduced International Direct Services, offering bespoke academic and personal support to all international undergraduates in their first year to ensure a positive start to their degree programme at OSU. Since the inauguration of INTO OSU, the retention rate for first-year students has escalated to 95%.
INTO University Partnerships facilitates the connection between ambitious international students and premier universities in the US, UK, and Australia. Since its inception in 2005, INTO has aided over 150,000 students from 180 countries in realising their aspirations of obtaining a degree from a leading global university.
