Making New Friends and
Growing Connections

Message from Executive Director Belinda Theriault

Dear alumni and friends,

I hope your summer is off to a good start. I am feeling energized after a recent trip to the U.S., where I spent a week visiting colleges and universities in the state of Maine. Iceland and Maine have been increasing ties over the past years, not least due to Maine’s position as a gateway to the Arctic and increasing business ties. Icelanders and residents of Maine, both rural and urban, share many opportunities and challenges as northern, coastal inhabitants. However, although academic cooperation has been growing, a lot more can be done in this area.

The visit gave me an opportunity to meet with representatives of New England Ocean Cluster and the Maine North Atlantic Development Office, as well as with the Honorary Consul of Iceland and a local alum. The bulk of my time was spent visiting campuses, including the University of New England, Bates College, Bowdoin College, The University of Maine, Orono, and the University of Southern Maine. The main purpose of the trip was to highlight Fulbright Iceland opportunities, especially in Arctic scholarship, through discussions with leadership, faculty and students. The visits were fantastic. I learned a lot about the great work being done by these institutions. There is no doubt potential for cooperation. I hope that we will see more applications from faculty and students from Maine and we also hope to increase interest from Icelanders to do academic work in Maine. I wish to thank my hosts at these five higher-ed institutions for setting up a great program for me and for giving me such a warm welcome.

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