ORONO — A former U.S. Department of State official and diplomat who served as ambassador to China, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Greece will deliver the University of Maine’s 2026 Cohen Lecture, Thursday, April 2, at 2 p.m., at the Collins Center for the Arts. 

This year’s lecture will be delivered by Nicholas Burns, vice chair of The Cohen Group and a Harvard University professor of diplomacy and international relations. His talk, titled “The U.S. and the World at a Crossroads,” is free and open to the public. Registration is required by calling 207.581.1755 or filling out an online form. Reasonable accommodations can also be requested.  

In addition to being a U.S. ambassador to China, NATO and Greece, Burns worked in the State Department as undersecretary of state for political affairs. On the National Security Council, he served as senior director for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia affairs and director for Soviet affairs.

“Ambassador Burns brings a lifetime of experience at the highest levels of diplomacy and public service,” said Richard Powell, director of UMaine’s Cohen Institute, in a news release. “At a time of profound global change, his perspective will offer our community an opportunity to better understand the challenges and opportunities shaping the United States’ role in the world.”

The annual Cohen Lecture honors the legacy of William S. Cohen, former U.S. senator from Maine and U.S. secretary of defense, and brings distinguished leaders in international affairs, public service and global policy to UMaine. Past speakers include former Secretary of Defense Gen. Jim Mattis, former Secretaries of State John Kerry and Madeleine Albright, former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and journalists Bob Woodward and Dan Rather. 

A Bangor native, Cohen represented Maine in Congress for 24 years. He currently serves as chief executive officer and chair of the Cohen Group, a Washington, D.C.-based firm providing global business consulting.

Cohen established the lecture series following his donation of his congressional papers to UMaine’s Fogler Library. He later donated papers from his tenure as secretary of defense. 

Cohen Institute

Consistent with UMaine’s learner-centered R1 commitment, the Cohen Institute promotes leadership and civic engagement through programs that reflect and honor Cohen’s public service. Signature offerings include an interdisciplinary minor in leadership studies, a Washington, D.C. leadership program and a summer leadership program for Maine high school students. More information is available on the institute’s website.

University of Maine

As Maine’s only public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution, the University of Maine advances learning and discovery through excellence and innovation. Founded in 1865 in Orono, UMaine is the state’s land, sea and space grant university with a regional campus at the University of Maine at Machias. Our students come from all over the world and work with faculty conducting fieldwork around the globe — from the North Atlantic to the Antarctic. Located on Marsh Island in the homeland of the Penobscot Nation with UMaine Machias located in the homeland of the Passamaquoddy Nation, UMaine’s statewide mission is to foster an environment that creates tomorrow’s leaders. As the state’s flagship institution, UMaine offers nearly 200 degree programs through which students can earn bachelor’s, master’s, professional master’s and doctoral degrees as well as graduate certificates. For more information about UMaine and UMaine Machias, visit umaine.edu/about/quick-facts/ and machias.edu/about-umm/umm-facts/.