INTO University Partnerships together with Oregon State University (OSU) are commemorating a landmark 15 years of partnership, a period marked by profound educational advancements for a myriad of international students.
Established in 2008, this collaboration aimed to enhance OSU’s global presence and has been successful in delivering an extensive range of academic support and services for international students. This includes direct entry and custom-designed preparatory courses for all undergraduate programs, as well as a wide array of postgraduate degrees, positioning OSU in the top 1.4% of global universities and among the top 20% in the US for graduate earnings.
The INTO OSU Centre, located within the historic precinct of the OSU campus, acts as a dynamic hub of academic and personal support, powered by a committed team of staff and faculty.
As a pioneering initiative in the United States, the center has been instrumental in the academic achievements of over 11,900 international students from more than 155 countries, enabling their success in various disciplines. Students under the INTO OSU program have also achieved representation across 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, shared: “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 partnership’s commitment to excellence is reflected in outstanding student satisfaction and retention rates. The initiation of International Direct Services by OSU in 2020, offering bespoke academic and personal support to all international first-year undergraduates, has contributed significantly to a positive initiation of their degree programs at OSU. The retention rates for first-year students since the launch of INTO OSU have climbed impressively to 95%.
INTO University Partnerships is dedicated to connecting driven international students with elite universities in the US, UK, and Australia. Since its foundation in 2005, INTO has guided over 150,000 students from 180 countries towards achieving their dream of earning a degree from a prestigious international university.
