UMPI partners with international organization

   PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – With technology becoming an ever-increasing dynamic in people’s day-to-day lives, the University of Maine at Presque Isle is preparing to sign an agreement with a noted research organization that will help shine the light on more human endeavors.
    The relationship between UMPI and Realia: The Institute for Advanced Philosophic Research will make the northern Maine campus one of the few in the state with such an agreement.
“Such partnerships aid immensely in distinguished four-year institutions both among students and faculty,” said Ray Rice, UMPI associate professor of English. “It provides our faculty with a network of international scholars that can only further increase academic opportunities on our campus in multiple disciplines.”
Realia is a public non-profit organization begun in 1954. Its educational arm is the Institute for Advanced Philosophic Research, which annually holds a conference focusing society-tested philosophic ideas.
The group also publishes the journal Contemporary Philosophy that includes papers from academic and professional trained persons across disciplines.
Realia was founded by the late A.E. Koenig and today his daughter Wendy Koenig, a recent UMPI graduate, newly published author and owner of Crystal Compass Books. in Presque Isle, is at the helm.
Under the agreement, UMPI will provide Realia with office space, a work-study student and a repository for the group’s published journal archives.
“This agreement is an unusual and exceptional opportunity for UMPI,” Rice said. “There are very few colleges in Maine that maintain relationships with refereed, professional journals such as Contemporary Philosophy, let alone ones with such an outstanding history and diversity of membership.”
In addition, the agreement brings to UMPI an entire collection of philosophical texts many of which Rice said are unique in the University of Maine System.
The agreement also includes internships and writing opportunities for UMPI students.
Rice said the partnership would not have come about if not for the efforts of former UMPI Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Richard Kimball; Greg Curtis, director of information services; and President Donald Zillman.
Information may be found at www.realia-philosophy.com/Realia.html.
The University plans an official signing of the formal agreement on Wednesday, April 18, at 10:30 a.m. in the library.