BSU intensifies cooperation with Cuba in the field of education, science and innovation

This intention became the key in the large-scale program of the visit of the BSU delegation headed by the Rector Andrei Karol to Cuba. The visit to this country takes place these days and will last until 22 April.
Today, the Belarusian university has four long-term contracts with Cuban institutions. One of them is an agreement with the University of Havana. It was founded in 1728 and it is the leading and oldest in its country.
The official program was launched by a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Higher Education of Cuba Reinaldo Velasquez Saldivar. Valery Baranovsky, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Republic of Cuba, also took part in the discussion of the issues of enhancing interuniversity cooperation. The parties exchanged promising proposals to strengthen educational and scientific ties. In order to fill in the substantive content of the announced initiatives, the delegation of BSU has scheduled a number of meetings and the signing of a whole package of documents with Cuban universities.
The first negotiations with Cuban partners were held at the University of Havana. The parties expressed mutual interest in updating the existing agreements on education and science. Specific spheres and forms of partnership were identified, prospects for remote interaction and features of the Belarusian and Cuban higher education systems were considered.
The meeting resulted in the signing of a program of cooperation between universities. The document prescribes in detail joint work in the field of biology, geography, chemistry, mathematics, tourism, and the study of Spanish and Russian languages. Academic mobility, organization of internships, guest lectures, conducting scientific research, as well as joint training of specialists will be implemented by universities in the near future. The first step towards the scheduled plans was a Memorandum of Intent on the development of joint educational programs (JEP) certified by the signatures of the rectors of BSU and the University of Havana. The parties agreed to prepare master's degree programs in biology, mathematics, chemistry, geography, tourism and foreign languages with the prospect of issuing double diplomas.
The visit of the BSU delegation will continue with a number of meetings with the leadership of Enrique José Varona Pedagogical University, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment of Cuba, the Higher Institute of International Relations Raúl Roa García, the Botanical Gardens of Havana and Cienfuegos, pharmaceutical companies. It is assumed that numerous negotiations and meetings will intensify cooperation between the countries in the field of education, science and will contribute to the expansion of export services of the Belarusian university.