12.02.2024
On February 5-9, Havana hosted XIV International Congress of Higher Education “UNIVERSITY – 2024”.
More than 2,000 delegates from Latin America and other countries took part in the international educational forum. Warmly greeted them at the opening ceremony.
The Russian delegation included 38 rectors and vice-rectors. Moscow State Linguistic University was represented by rector Irina Kraeva and Director of the Center for Linguistic and Cultural Studies of Latin America and the Caribbean, senior lecturer of the Department of Spanish, Faculty of Translation and Interpeting Olga Kurchatkina.
Ministry of Higher Education of Cuba invited the rectors of Russian universities, and Irina Kraeva gave a speech spoke on behalf of the Russian delegation. Our rector also took part in the symposium “Higher education and challenges for the future: internationalization, digital transformation, financing, and information perspective.”
According to the program, the rector of MSLU visited the University of Information Sciences, an innovative university in Cuba, which has been cooperationg with MSLU over the past two years. All partner universities expressed their interest in continuing fruitful cooperation, and the University of Las Tunas announced its intention to set up a department of Russian language and culture this year.
During the forum, MSLU signed 5 new framework agreements on cooperation - with the Universities of Granma, Camagüey, Cienfuegos, Oriente and Marta Abreu. At the meeting with the rector of the University of Havana we signed agreements with the Faculty of Foreign Languages and the Faculty of Tourism. We started working immediately - Olga Kurchatkina will hold a series of seminars for teachers and students. We are pleased to begin cooperation with the faculty and look forward to our Cuban colleagues coming to MSLU soon.
Our cooperation with Cuba began in the 60s of the last century. Over 200 highly qualified specialists trained at MSLU have been working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Higher Education, diplomatic corps, media, in the field of education and in joint Russian-Cuban enterprises. MSLU teachers traveled to Cuba to train Cuban young specialists, and Russian graduates worked in joint Russian-Cuban enterprises.
Now our partners are 5 leading universities in Cuba. In 2023, MSLU took part in the V International Conference “UCIENCIA”, after which our university was invited to join the DRUIDA project - an educational and scientific platform for interuniversity academic interaction in Latin American countries, allowing for the implementation of educational and research projects.
MSLU is a member of the working group in the field of education within the Russian-Cuban Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation. We implemented a project within the framework of grants from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation “Russian language - new opportunities for Latin American countries” in Cuba and Venezuela, with other Latin American countries involved, and together with the Southern Federal University and the Institute of Russian Language MSLU is implementing a comprehensive internship program for Cuban students in the Russian Federation “An internship in Russia is a step to success.”
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