INTO Saint Louis University will deliver standalone English courses and pathway programmes including both English language instruction and academic preparation. Once they finish the programme students can enter into the second year of study at SLU.

“This new partnership will also create a wider global network of alumni, increase teaching and research opportunities for our faculty, and boost local economic activity”

It will welcome its first cohort of students in January 2016, and INTO anticipates it will grow into a “substantial” centre, Tim O’Brien, vice president, global business intelligence and development, told The PIE News.

As well as enabling SLU to extend its global reach and improve access for international students, the partnership will also have a positive impact for domestic students, according to its provost, Nancy Brickhouse.

“Increasing international student enrolment will enrich the educational experience of our US students, who will be exposed to an even wider range of cultural perspectives and views in our classrooms,” she explained.

“This new partnership will also create a wider global network of alumni, increase teaching and research opportunities for our faculty, and boost local economic activity as we attract more international students to the St Louis region.”

The entity will be managed by a board of directors that includes leaders from both organisations, while students will be taught by university faculty members.

Along with specialised support services, students will be able to access all of the campus facilities including its libraries and recreation centers and the Center for Global Citizenship.

Entering into the new partnership, INTO values not only SLU’s academic reputation, but also its “legacy of bringing higher education to those who have had previously limited access”, commented its CEO, John Sykes.

The development brings INTO’s total number of university partnerships to 21 worldwide, enrolling a joint total of 67,000 students from 166 countries.