A delegation of rectors from Cuba’s universities of Moa, Las Tunas, Oriente, and Holguín (named after Oscar Lucero Moya) paid a working visit to Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University. These four universities have well-developed engineering programs, and their rectors traveled 9,000 kilometers to begin the process of modernizing engineering education in the Island of Freedom based on the model of Russia’s oldest technical university.
A detailed introduction of the Cuban academic community to the new model of engineering education implemented by Saint Petersburg Mining University as part of the Presidential Pilot Project began two years ago. In October 2023, the university was visited by Yurisley Valdés Mariño, Rector of Moa University — Cuba’s leading institution for training specialists and conducting research in geology, mining, and metallurgy. He highly appreciated the university’s innovations, and today several graduates of Moa University are pursuing postgraduate studies in Saint Petersburg.
The current visit is dedicated to expanding the successful experience of cooperation to other Cuban universities.
«We have had the opportunity to become acquainted with the infrastructure of Saint Petersburg Mining University and to appreciate the profound fundamental and practical orientation of its engineering education. The university I represent is interested in following the path of Moa University by sending our postgraduate students to Saint Petersburg so that, after completing their studies and defending their dissertations, they can return to Cuba. Our country is in great need of such specialists.
In the opinion of our entire delegation, this is only the first step toward rapprochement with the Russian model of engineering education. Upon our return home, we will recommend that the Ministry of Higher Education of Cuba introduce your model across the country», – said Diana Sedal Yanes, Rector of the University of Oriente.
Rector of the Mining University, Professor Vladimir Litvinenko, shared with the guests his personal experience of contributing to the development of engineering education in Cuba during the Soviet era:
«I visited Cuba and worked at Moa University during its formative stage. At that time, the development of higher technical education was one of your country’s top national priorities. I remember that each department had at least two Russian-speaking lecturers. Times have changed. Many good specialists have since left Cuba for different parts of the world. Two of our Cuban postgraduate students, for example, are now successfully working in Canada.
Your country is rich in natural resources, including hydrocarbons on the continental shelf, as well as water and other resources. To utilize all of this to the greatest benefit of the nation, highly qualified engineering personnel are essential. I believe the first step should be the restoration of Russian language study centers in Cuba. And in Russia, I am sure there will be many who would gladly study Spanish. The global dominance of English ultimately leads to a loss of economic sovereignty», – said Vladimir Litvinenko.
The Rector also emphasized that, despite the geographical distance between the two nations, the peoples of Russia and Cuba share much in common — a fact that inspires confidence in the success of their educational cooperation.
