The partnership will create a pathway programme for international students and see the establishment of an ONCAMPUS Rhode Island centre.

International students are expected to be able to enrol in the undergraduate University Pathway Program from January next year.

“We need to cultivate an increasingly diverse student body to further enrich the university’s overall learning experience”

Students will be guaranteed progression into the second year of their bachelor’s degree, in a variety of the university’s courses.

The programme has also been created in order to facilitate more international students coming to study at the University of Rhode Island.

“While we already host students from more than 65 different nations, we need to cultivate an increasingly diverse student body to further enrich the university’s overall learning experience,” said Donald DeHayes, provost and vice-president for academic affairs at URI.

This announcement marks the fifth US partnership for ONCAMPUS, with pathways already established with the University of North Texas, California State University Monterey Bay, Morrisville State College in New York state, and Wheelock College in Boston.

“ONCAMPUS Rhode Island is a great new partnership that builds on our reputation for delivering quality pathway programmes in the US,” said Fergus Brownlee, president of Cambridge Education Group.

“Our partnership with URI is exciting and will offer academically qualified international students the opportunity to access the quality education programmes that URI delivers.”

ONCAMPUS also has nine centres in the UK and Europe – the most recent of which was established with Lund University in Sweden last year.