Celebrating a significant milestone, INTO University Partnerships and Oregon State University (OSU) mark 15 years of a partnership that has been a beacon of educational transformation for numerous international students.
Initiated in 2008, this partnership was established with the goal of broadening the international outreach of OSU. It has since been instrumental in offering a plethora of academic support and services to international students, including direct entry and bespoke preparatory courses across all undergraduate fields, in addition to a comprehensive range of postgraduate degrees. OSU is esteemed among the top 1.4% of global universities and is noted for its graduates being among the top 20% in the US in terms of earning potential.
The INTO OSU Centre, situated on the historic grounds of OSU’s campus, serves as a bustling nexus of education, providing students with an enhanced layer of academic and personal support, thanks to the devoted team of staff and faculty.
As the inaugural initiative of its kind in the US, this centre has been pivotal in aiding over 11,900 international students from beyond 155 countries to attain academic excellence in their chosen fields. Students supported by INTO OSU have also distinguished themselves across all 11 of OSU’s academic colleges at the doctoral level.
Edward Feser, Provost and Executive Vice President at Oregon State University and a board member of INTO OSU, said: “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, remarked: “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 has continually demonstrated exceptional student satisfaction and retention statistics. The introduction of International Direct Services by OSU in 2020, offering tailored academic and personal support to all international undergraduates in their first year, has ensured a smooth transition into their degree programmes at OSU. The retention rates for first-year students since the establishment of INTO OSU have impressively reached 95%.
INTO University Partnerships is committed to linking ambitious international students with leading universities in the US, UK, and Australia. Established in 2005, INTO has supported over 150,000 students from 180 countries in their pursuit of degrees from world-renowned universities.