Islands are often perceived as being at a disadvantage compared to their mainland counterparts. And sure, there are some tough issues that are at least somewhat unique to islands. However, there is also plenty of evidence of the potential for unique successes, partially because island geographies necessitate doing things a little differently. Universities located on islands tend to have a different relationship with their communities, often working together to find new, appropriate ways of approaching those old island challenges. For this episode of Rural Routes we bring you a conversation between scholars and administrators at the University of Corsica, the University of Prince Edward Island, the University of La Laguna on Canary Islands, the University of Highlands and Islands from Scotland and Memorial University of Newfoundland. We talked about the role of universities in predominantly rural island environments and the innovative ways in which they connect to the islands and islanders they serve.