SAIPAN — The University of Guam is extending its annual Conference on Island Sustainability (CIS2026) and will bring two days of programming to Saipan, expanding the event through April 26 in partnership with Northern Marianas College.
CIS2026 is in its 17th year and is typically anchored on Guam. This year’s schedule was initially set to wrap up Friday, April 24, but organizers said the conference will continue through the weekend with sessions and activities in the CNMI as regional participation grows.
UOG said the Saipan portion is intended to widen access for CNMI-based educators, researchers, policymakers, students and community leaders, with discussions expected to cover climate resilience, environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, renewable energy and sustainable development.
University of Guam President Anita Borja Enriquez, who is also a CIS2026 co-chairperson, said the Saipan extension builds on UOG’s long-standing relationship with NMC and expands one of the university’s premier annual events to include CNMI partners.
NMC President Galvin Deleon Guerrero said the partnership ties directly to sustainability work across the Marianas and the Pacific and provides an opportunity to highlight NMC’s recent Sea Grant status alongside Guam-based partners.
UOG Center for Island Sustainability & Sea Grant Director Austin Shelton said the conference’s expansion reflects a shared responsibility to advance solutions grounded in island knowledge and regional cooperation, and pointed to ongoing work such as the CNMI Green Growth Initiative.
Events in Saipan will be organized by NMC and 500 Sails and will include a cultural seminar, canoe experience, Sea Talks, and a Managaha Conservation Experience, organizers said.
CIS2026 is presented by UOG CIS & Sea Grant and partner organizations including Guam Power Authority, Guam Southern Soil and Water Conservation District, Guam NSF EPSCoR, The Nature Conservancy and the Office of the Governor.
