Declaring that “Cuba has never been more interesting,” Dean John Coatsworth of the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University opened a seminar on academic and scholarly relations with Cuba yesterday at NAFSA’s annual conference in Vancouver. Dr. Coatsworth spoke extensively on the current political, economic, and social climate in Cuba, laying the groundwork for renewed exchanges with the island.
Renewed academic exchanges between the United States and Cuba are now possible, with the advent of relaxed regulations announced by the Obama administration in January. Speakers from the United States, Canada, and Cuba provided a political and historical context for the exchange of students and scholars between the two countries. Dr. Mayra Heydrich from the University of Havana spoke about Cuba’s rich history of academic exchange and study abroad with nations around the world, including the United States.
Dr. Catherine Schittecatte of Vancouver Island University outlined the history of the diplomatic relationship between Canada and Cuba, and Dr. Eric Popkin of Colorado College provided background on Cuba-U.S. relations over the past 60 years and expressed optimism for the future of U.S. academic exchange in Cuba. This sentiment was echoed by Dr. Coatsworth, who proclaimed that recent moves by the Cuban government toward political and economic reform mean that now more than ever, “Cuba is open for business.”
See coverage of this event by Inside Higher Ed and The Chronicle of Higher Education, and add your thoughts on the future of exchanges between the United States and Cuba.
Thanks for the post! Is there a video or transcript of this portion of the conference? Also, were any publications released in conjunction with this portion of the conference? If so, could you please direct me to them? Thank you!’
-Nick L.
Center for Strategic & International Studies
Washington, D.C.
Excellent! Thank you, Rebecca. I look forward to catching that audio piece.
Cheers,
-Nick L.
Cuba has such a rich history and culture and it has been a shame that it has been so closed off for so many years. It is good to see that the exchange of academic ideas and theories and experiences are being opened between ourselves and Cuba.
Great post and rebecca nice website thnx
Hi! Thanks for your interest in the work NAFSA is doing vis-a-vis academic and people to people exchange between Cuba and the United States. An audio recording of both sessions that comprised the Cuba Symposium is forthcoming, but for now let me direct you to http://www.nafsa.org/cuba. Here you will find resources on NAFSA’s advocacy work on Cuba, guidance on the recently change regulations issued from OFAC and much more.
Also, please visit http://www.connectingourworld.org to see a brand-new page we just put up on studying abroad in Cuba, which features stories from American students who have studied abroad in Cuba and a survey which inquires as to which American schools are currently running study abroad programs in Cuba and/or those who are interested in doing so.
Thanks!
Rebecca