A Visit to La Universidad de Cienfuegos

– Dairo Enrique Moreno, President, Civitas GES

Recently, I visited the two campuses of La Universidad de Cienfuegos to meet with directors, faculty and staff. I spent most of my time at the Carlos Rafael Rodríguez campus.

Most of the campus was peaceful. Breezes blew through the courtyards and walkways that are a common feature of the soviet-era style buildings; their hard edges softened by the lush greenery of the moss and ivy that decorate the façade. Adding to the tranquility were the leaves of the palms and local trees that rustled with the wind offering a much appreciated relief from the summer sun.

It was that lull between spring and summer semesters when the soundtrack is mostly silence, at times interrupted by landscaping equipment. You can also hear the rhythm of horseshoes on pavement, the horse-drawn wagons known as “Cienfuegos Taxis” that cross the campus picking up staff and students.

A few dozen students still roamed. Some were studying for their last final exams or preparing for a thesis defense. There were some international students on campus that were taking advantage of the downtime by signing up for one-on-one sessions to improve their language skills. Others who were too far from their home countries were hanging around waiting for the summer session to begin.

As someone whose writing experience consists mostly of business plans and agreements, that is as poetic as I know how to get, but I digress…

I sat down for a meeting with Lourdes Teresita Pomares Castellón, Director of International Relations for La Universidad de Cienfuegos and Dayni Diaz Mederos, coordinator for international relations and academic programs. We discussed a number of topics including Cuba TIES 2015, study abroad programs and UCf‘s internationalization efforts on campus.

If nothing else, I came to the conclusion that La Universidad de Cienfuegos is probably one of the best kept secrets in Cuba.  While most of the United States has been fixed on developing collaborations and programs in Havana, this Caribbean university has been quietly building an extensive foundation for internationalization and student exchange. Led by Director Pomares, UCf has one of the most international campuses outside of Havana. The following is just some of the highlights that make this university such a unique place among Cuban institutions:

International Engagement

In 2002, La Universidad de Cienfuegos became the second university in Cuba to sign an international exchange agreement with a university in the United States. Since the initial program with the University of Washington in Tacoma, UCf has engaged in over 140 international collaboration agreements with universities around the world and its student body has representation from 68 countries.   There are currently 40 visiting professors on campus and approximately 300 UCf professors have or are currently engaged in teaching, research or other collaborative projects abroad. UCf is constantly developing and evaluating best practices for international sustainability on campus.

A Leader in the Socio-Economic Update Process

Since its inception in April 2011, UCf has been closely involved with the update of Cuba’s Socio-Economic model. Cuba has entered uncharted socio-economic waters, embarking upon greater commercialization of the economy while maintaining the core economic features of its model. UCf is one of the nation’s institutional leaders in supporting and fostering the country’s newly evolving private sector. Through international collaborations and strategic alliances, UCF works with different universities, NGOs, local state and private institutions, embassies and other partners to develop and adapt programs to assist the community as it evolves.

English Proficiency

One thing I instantly noticed when I stepped on campus is the amount of English spoken by faculty and staff. The level of English proficiency by some of the staff is simply outstanding. This penetration of the English language on campus is partly due to some members of the faculty being certified TKT (Teaching Knowledge Test) trainers. UCf currently has four teachers of the TKT who were trained and certified by the British Council Caribbean to teach anywhere in the World. They have been training students and faculty alike so that they can eventually become certified trainers also.

We discussed some of UCF’s future plans for continued internationalization.  The plan is impressive and there is no doubt that the relationship between Cuba and the United States further normalizes, UCf will be playing a role in the new relationship both on and off campus.

Although most students were gone for the summer, I did manage to meet students from Europe, Africa and other parts of the Americas. With international students present even during the quietest times, I look forward to returning when a semester is in full swing…. And horribly attempting to wax poetic once again.

The Leaders at UCf International Relations (From L to R ): Dayni Deysi Diaz Mederos, MA, Coordinator for International Academic Programs; Lourdes Teresita Pomares Castellon, MBA, Director; Yudelvis Herrera Almeida, JD, Institutional International Relations

These student dormitories are in the dominant architectural style you see around the Carlos Rafael Rodrîguez campus of UCf.