BUZZARDS BAY, MA, ISSUED OCTOBER 1, 2026…Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) marked a significant summer of international engagement, bringing together maritime students and institutional leaders from Panama and Türkiye to strengthen partnerships, develop future leaders, and expand opportunities for global collaboration.
At the center of the summer was the 2026 World Leadership Program, coordinated through the CAPT Paul Cuffe Global Institute. The three-week program welcomed cadets from the Universidad Marítima Internacional de Panamá (UMIP) and Piri Reis University in Istanbul, Türkiye for an immersive experience combining maritime education, leadership development, shipboard observation, cultural engagement, and a three-day training mini-cruise.
More than a traditional exchange, the program challenged students to step beyond their comfort zones, communicate across cultures, build lasting connections, and experience maritime education through a global perspective.
The summer also provided an opportunity to celebrate 20 years of partnership between Massachusetts Maritime Academy and UMIP. The Academy welcomed UMIP Rector Víctor Luna Barahona to campus for a commemorative ceremony recognizing two decades of academic cooperation and friendship. With UMIP cadets participating in this year’s World Leadership Program, the celebration demonstrated how a partnership established 20 years ago continues to create meaningful opportunities for new generations of maritime leaders.
“We are thrilled to celebrate 20 years of an amazing partnership with Massachusetts Maritime Academy,” said Barahona. “The connections we make between our schools are invaluable – creating new perspectives, sharing best practices, and developing innovative solutions. We look forward to another 20 years and beyond.”
At the same time, the Academy looked toward the future by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Piri Reis University. With Piri Reis cadets present on campus, the agreement established a framework for expanded academic cooperation, student and faculty engagement, and future international initiatives.
“We look forward to expanding our relationship with Massachusetts Maritime Academy through this MoU,” said Professor Nafiz Arica, Rector of Piri Reis University. “This partnership provides a valuable platform for our institutions to learn from one another, create new opportunities for our students and faculty, and strengthen international cooperation in maritime education. By bringing our academic communities together, we can contribute to developing globally minded maritime professionals and advancing our industry.”
Together, these milestones reflect both the strength of long-standing relationships and the promise of new ones.
“A global perspective is woven into so many facets of the maritime industry, and we know partnerships like the ones we have with UMIP and Piri Reis enrich our cadets’ – and their students’ – learning with real-world relationship-building and knowledge-sharing,” said Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, president of Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “We are so grateful for the work of IAMU to connect schools like ours, and for our longstanding connection with UMIP and our expanding association with Piri Reis University.”
Massachusetts Maritime Academy continues to advance international education and partnerships that prepare students for an increasingly interconnected maritime industry.
For MMA, the summer of 2026 reinforced a simple but powerful principle: maritime education may begin on individual campuses, but its future is global.
About Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA): MMA is a fully accredited, four-year, co-educational state university offering Bachelor and Master of Science degrees that are highly regarded in the worldwide maritime industry and beyond. For more than 100 years, MMA has prepared women and men for exciting and rewarding careers on land and sea. As the nation’s finest co-ed maritime college, MMA challenges students to succeed by balancing a unique regimented lifestyle with a typical four-year college environment. Located on Cape Cod, at the mouth of the scenic Cape Cod Canal, Massachusetts Maritime Academy is the ideal college to pursue the love for the ocean, concern for the environment, interest in math and science, and a thirst for adventure. Follow MMA on FB: @massmaritime, @MassMaritime.Advancement; IG: @massmaritime, @mmacademyalumni; Twitter: @MMAadmissions, @MMAcademyAlumni; YouTube: Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
The 2026 World Leadership Program (WLP) brought together a dynamic international cohort of 13 cadets—10 from the Universidad Marítima Internacional de Panamá (UMIP) and three from Piri Reis University in Türkiye—for three weeks of academic, cultural, and leadership experiences at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. The photo above captures the cohort upon their arrival, joined by members of the CAPT Paul Cuffe Global Institute and MMA student leaders who welcomed and supported them throughout the program. The photo below marks the culmination of their experience during their Capstone Presentation, where participants reflected on and shared what they learned during their time at the Academy.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy and Piri Reis University celebrated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding at the CAPT Paul Cuffe Global Institute. RADM Francis X. McDonald joined Institute members and the three Piri Reis students participating in the 2026 World Leadership Program. The ceremony celebrated the growing partnership between the two institutions. The MOU supports future academic collaboration and student exchange. The signing marked an important milestone in their international partnership.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy and Universidad Marítima Internacional de Panamá (UMIP) commemorated 20 years of partnership and collaboration. Pictured above, from left to right, are Dean Michael Ortiz; 1/C Leticia Ferrari, Regimental Global Engagement Officer; Rector Víctor Luna; and CAPT Julio Bonilla. The photo below captures the celebration of this important milestone with Rector Víctor Luna and RADM Francis X. McDonald, President of Massachusetts Maritime Academy. This anniversary celebrates two decades of academic exchange, international engagement, and friendship between MMA and UMIP.
