INTO University Partnerships and Oregon State University: Fifteen Years of Advancing Global Education

INTO University Partnerships and Oregon State University (OSU) are observing a significant milestone, celebrating 15 years of a partnership that has dramatically enhanced educational opportunities for international students across the globe.

This collaboration, initiated in 2008, aimed to amplify OSU’s global influence. It has effectively provided an extensive suite of academic support and services to international students, encompassing direct entry and custom-developed preparatory programs for all undergraduate disciplines, as well as a broad spectrum of postgraduate degrees. This initiative has placed OSU among the elite 1.4% of universities globally and in the top 20% in the US for the earning potential of its graduates.

Located at the heart of the historic OSU campus, the INTO OSU Centre stands as a vibrant center for academic and personal growth, supported by a dedicated cadre of staff and faculty.

This center, a pioneering initiative within the US, has been instrumental in the academic progression of over 11,900 international students from upwards of 155 countries, aiding them in achieving excellence in their chosen academic pursuits. INTO OSU-supported students have also 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 INTO OSU Board Member, reflected: “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, 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 enduring success of this partnership is evident in its remarkable student satisfaction and retention rates. OSU’s introduction of International Direct Services in 2020, offering personalized academic and personal support to all international undergraduates in their freshman year, has significantly enhanced the initiation of their degree programs at OSU. Since the inception of INTO OSU, the retention rates for first-year students have impressively reached 95%.

INTO University Partnerships continues its mission of connecting motivated international students with premier universities in the US, UK, and Australia. Since its founding in 2005, INTO has helped over 150,000 students from 180 countries to realize their dreams of earning a degree from world-renowned institutions.