A Milestone in Global Education: Celebrating 15 Years of INTO University Partnerships and Oregon State University

INTO University Partnerships alongside Oregon State University (OSU) are proudly marking the 15th anniversary of their partnership, an alliance that has reshaped the educational prospects for international students on a significant scale.

Since its inception in 2008, the partnership was envisioned to bolster OSU’s global presence, a mission that has been successfully realized through providing a vast array of academic support and services to international students. This includes direct entry and specially designed preparatory courses spanning all undergraduate programs, as well as an expansive range of postgraduate degrees, earning OSU a place in the top 1.4% of universities worldwide and recognition for having graduates among the top 20% earners in the US.

The INTO OSU Centre, set within the historic confines of the OSU campus, serves as an epicenter of academic and personal development, backed by the unwavering dedication of its staff and faculty.

This center, the first in the US to adopt such a model, has played a pivotal role in the academic achievements of over 11,900 international students from more than 155 countries, facilitating their excellence in various academic fields. INTO OSU-supported students have notably achieved representation across all 11 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, commented: “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, shared: “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 boasts impressive student satisfaction and retention figures, further bolstered by OSU’s introduction of International Direct Services in 2020. This initiative provides tailored academic and personal support to all international first-year undergraduates, ensuring a smooth transition into their degree programs at OSU. Since the launch of INTO OSU, the retention rate for first-year students has soared to 95%.

INTO University Partnerships remains committed to connecting ambitious international students with top-tier institutions in the US, UK, and Australia. Since 2005, INTO has facilitated the academic journeys of over 150,000 students from 180 countries, helping them to achieve their dream of attaining a degree from prestigious universities around the globe.