INTO University Partnerships and Oregon State University mark 15 transformative years of collaboration

INTO and OSU are celebrating 15 years of partnership that has enabled thousands of ambitious international students to excel at a leading US University 

(CORVALLIS / BEIJING): INTO University Partnerships and Oregon State University (OSU) are celebrating 15 years of partnership that have provided transformative educational experiences to thousands of international students.

Formed in 2008 to expand OSU’s global reach, the partnership offers academic support and services to international students in the form of direct entry and taught preparatory programs in all undergraduate majors, as well as a wide range of graduate degrees at the University. Students receive this additional layer of academic and personal support from the staff and faculty in the INTO OSU Center – a vibrant educational hub located on the historic OSU campus. The Center was the first of its kind in the US and has since supported thousands of international students’ progress toward their chosen degrees and contributed to their academic and professional success.

To mark fifteen successful years of partnership, OSU’s Provost and Executive Vice President, Edward Feser, Bob Gilmour, INTO OSU’s Executive Director, and Sharon Sundue,  INTO’s Executive Vice President for North America have embarked on a week-long trip to China starting Monday, 15 January.

China remains a significant sender for international student recruitment for OSU, representing the university’s largest body of international students from a single country. Chinese students also constitute the largest group of students who have successfully obtained employment in the US through Optional Practical Training (OPT) since the start of the partnership.

“In 15 years of collaboration, the INTO Oregon State University partnership has helped bring more than 4,000 Chinese students to OSU. This has strengthened the university by enriching the intercultural experiences of all OSU students and supporting the growth of our academic programs, including major investments in faculty hires, infrastructure, and study abroad opportunities, while elevating OSU’s global visibility and brand,” said Dr Feser who is also INTO OSU Board Member. 

“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,” said John Sykes, CEO of INTO. 

The education leaders are attending special celebration events involving local recruitment partners in Beijing and Shanghai. They will also travel to Guangzhou in the coastal region of Guangdong, home to 17% of OSU alumni based in China, where they will attend a celebratory alumni gathering. 

Bob Gilmour, INTO OSU’s Executive Director, said: “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 Center 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 INTO OSU Center at OSU – a Tier 1 Research University and Top 1.4% Global University – has helped more than 11,900 international students from more than 155 countries achieve academic success on their chosen course since 2008. INTO OSU-supported students also have gone on to represent all 11 of OSU’s academic colleges at PhD level.

The joint venture continues to see excellent student satisfaction and retention rates. OSU implemented International Direct Services in 202, providing all international undergraduates in their first year of study at OSU with tailored academic and personal support to promote a successful beginning to their OSU undergraduate degree program. Since the launch of INTO OSU, retention rates for first-year students have soared to 95%.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Davinder Kumar
VP, Corporate & Public Relations
davinder.kumar@intoglobal.com