INTO University Partnerships and Oregon State University (OSU) are commemorating fifteen years of a partnership that has dramatically reshaped the educational experiences of a vast array of international students.
This partnership, forged in 2008, was aimed at amplifying OSU’s international appeal. It has successfully provided a broad spectrum of academic support and services to international students, including direct entry and specifically tailored preparatory programs for all undergraduate specialties, along with a comprehensive selection of postgraduate degrees. OSU is lauded among the top 1.4% of universities globally and is noted for its graduates being among the top 20% earners in the US.
Situated on the historic grounds of the OSU campus, the INTO OSU Centre stands as a bustling focal point of learning, offering students an additional layer of academic and personal support, thanks to the unwavering dedication of its staff and faculty.
This pioneering initiative in the US has been pivotal in propelling over 11,900 international students from more than 155 countries towards academic excellence in their chosen fields. Students supported by INTO OSU have notably achieved representation across all of OSU’s academic colleges at the PhD level.
Edward Feser, Provost and Executive Vice President at Oregon State University and a member of the INTO OSU Board, stated: “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, reflected: “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 enduring collaboration continues to report exceptional student satisfaction and retention rates. The establishment of International Direct Services by OSU in 2020, which provides tailored academic and personal support to all international undergraduates in their first year, has significantly smoothed the transition into their degree programmes at OSU. Since the establishment of INTO OSU, the retention rates for first-year students have impressively risen to 95%.
INTO University Partnerships has been at the forefront of connecting ambitious international students with premier institutions in the US, UK, and Australia. Since its inception in 2005, INTO has facilitated the academic dreams of over 150,000 students from 180 countries, helping them secure degrees from globally esteemed universities.
