The First Russian University Opens in Cuba
Inaugurated by Putin’s envoy
The Southern Federal University plans to prepare Cubans for further university studies in Russia.
HAVANA TIMES – Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko’s visit to the island has yielded more benefits for Cuba than for its visitor in terms of investment and aid. However, in at least one area, Russia appears to have gained ground. Last Friday, a branch of the Southern Federal University (SFU) was finally inaugurated in Havana to train Cubans and prepare them for “admission to Russian universities.”
The venue was established with the approval of the University of Havana, which, according to Russian press reports, provided facilities to the SFU free of charge. “We proudly announce an important step in educational cooperation between Cuba and Russia,” the official announced on social media, with a message full of praise for Vladimir Putin’s “distinguished” envoy.
SFU, whose location has not been revealed by authorities, is the first foreign university that the regime—which nationalized and monopolized education since 1961—has allowed to establish itself on the island. It’s unclear what benefits Cuba will gain from the Kremlin’s expansion in education, but Cuban students will undoubtedly take advantage of the connection.
According to SFU, which will officially begin classes next September, its programs aim not only to educate Cuban citizens but also prepare them for admission to Russian universities. However, the inauguration comes several months late, as the original plan was to have the first graduating class by next summer.
“At first, the department will operate as a preparatory faculty. Cubans will be offered additional vocational training programs in Russian. Local residents will be prepared for admission to Russian universities. In addition, the branch will organize Russian language courses and programs in various areas of study. In the future, SFU plans to make it possible for students to begin receiving higher education there,” the Russian press reports.
With a banner in Russian featuring the faces of Vladimir Putin and Miguel Díaz-Canel in the background, Chernyshenko celebrated the opening of the site, calling it a testament to the ties between the two countries. SFU President Marina Borovskay echoed the sentiment, adding that she traveled to the event with a “large delegation” from the university.
“The University of Havana is our long-standing friend and trusted partner. We are already successfully completing a number of joint research and training projects and exchanging experiences. Last year, Cuban students and university staff visited SFU, where they not only learned about the university but also received training, gathered information for their research projects, and met colleagues with whom they joined forces to continue their research,” the director explained.
Another Russian university, Glazov State Pedagogical University, has capitalized on SFU’s momentum and signed a memorandum of cooperation with its counterpart in Havana this week. According to Russian media, the goal is also to create Russian language learning programs for Cubans, in addition to dual-degree programs.
“During the business visit, together with our Cuban colleagues, we outlined new areas of joint work, such as dual-degree programs, the development of a new educational and methodological complex on Russian as a foreign language for Spanish-speaking audiences, and the introduction of Russian in schools. We are pleased to be at the forefront of developing Russian-Cuban relations,” said Rector Yanina Chigovskaya-Nazarova.
She also emphasized that Cuba is not her only focus: “Our university has been supporting the study of Russian in Latin America for three years, and thanks to this work, we see how the linguistic landscape of the region is changing.” The director noted that there are eight Russian language study centers in Cuba, “created with the support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science and the My History Foundation,” from which nearly 1,000 students graduated last year.
It has been unclear, since it was practiced in the Soviet Union, how Moscow benefits from training Cubans. Indoctrination in the values defended by the Kremlin didn’t take root much before 1989; and nothing indicates that now, more than three decades later, the island is more receptive to Putin’s Russia.
Translated by Translating Cuba.