University of Southern Maine

The University of Southern Maine, northern New England’s outstanding public, regional, comprehensive university, provides students with a high-quality, accessible, affordable education. Through its undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, USM faculty members educate future leaders in the liberal arts and sciences, engineering and technology, health and social services, education, business, law, and public service. Distinguished for their teaching, research, scholarly publication, and creative activity, the faculty are committed to fostering a spirit of critical inquiry and civic participation. USM embraces academic freedom for students, faculty, and staff, and advocates diversity in all aspects of its campus life and academic work. It supports sustainable development, environmental stewardship, and community involvement. As a center for discovery, scholarship, and creativity, USM is a resource for the state, the nation, and the world.

Since 2015 we have invested institutional resources in the USM North Atlantic Initiative to build strong partnerships with higher education, business and non-profit organizations in Iceland, Norway, and Maine to provide our students and faculty the opportunity to engage with international partners in research, academic co-programming and internship opportunities on topics such as fisheries, law, tourism, public health, innovation and entrepreneurship, and the arts and humanities and will soon expand to assist coastal communities in adapting to the impacts of climate change. 

We are evolving the USM North Atlantic Initiative into the Maine-North Atlantic Institute to provide more focus and coordination in our collaborative efforts with our domestic and international partners.  The goal of the Institute is to establish the University of Maine System as a leading US institution of higher education for advancing economic prosperity in Maine through collaboration with the North Atlantic Region. The Institute’s focus areas are:

Globally Competent Workforce

Environmental and Community Health

Market Access

Cultural Connections

Investments