International Academical Services Of Higher Education Republic of Cuba International Pre-graduate and Post- graduate Courses. Export Department
International Academical Services of the Ministry of Higher Education Cuba, a country with over 11 million inhabitants, has 668 000 university graduates from 48 higher education centers. The Ministry of Higher Education is in charge of 15 educational centers, within which 73 scientific investigation and four independent specialized centers exist. In some of the faculties and other schooling centers over 50% of the teaching staff is composed by PhDs, and there is work being carried out in order to achieve the same proportion in all our universities. The characteristics of the current Cuban society, based on social justice, humanism and solidarity, demand an educator not only knowledgeable in its area of expertise, but also, and above all, a person with solid ethic principles with foundations in the legacy of our national heroes as, for example, Father Félix Varela and the Apostle of the Independence, José Martí. The Cuban university professor knows itself responsible and defender of that rich tradition and it acts in correspondence with those values that have been generalized during the last four decades. The International Academical Services of the Ministry of Higher Education is managed by the Internationalism and Academical Services Department (DISAI), which belongs to the Direction of International Relations and they cover the following activities: Pre-graduate Education. Post-graduate Education. Spanish Courses. Language Courses. Technical Teaching Assistance. Variants of studies offered. Pre-graduate Education. Internships. Courses. Post-graduate Education. PhD, Masters. Diploma Courses. Training. Internships. Courses. Others. Spanish language courses. Language courses.
Proposal of topics. Agricultural, Forestry and Veterinarian Sciences. Exact and Natural Sciences. Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Sciences. Social Sciences. Pedagogical Sciences. Sciences of Education. Computer and information Sciences, Arts and Letters. Economical Sciences. Technical Sciences. Geological and Metallurgical Sciences. Health Sciences. Language. The Cuban universities are able to design other training programs and short courses, in order to fullfil the student s requested needs. Admission Requirements. To be graduated from a higher education center. In the case of pregraduate activities, it is only necessary to credit the year of study. To fulfill all the admission requirements depending on the type of studies to be taken. To have the approval of the Cuban higher education institution where he/she intends to study.
Pre-graduate Education Courses and Internships The course gives students a basic training. It covers the organization of a group of contents that deal with relevant investigation results or significant matters with the purpose of complementing the knowledge of the students that are going to receive it. In addition, and as part of the pregraduate studies offer,internship variants can be organized, and they can make reference to: Short courses of different duration. Diploma Papers. Course Projects. Independent Subject Courses. Expeditions. Teaching Practices. Language Courses. Necessary documentation for admission and other procedures. Document attesting the Higher Education level of the student Full health report, making clear reference to the general physical and mental health of the applicant. In the case of women a non- pregnancy report should be submitted. Document that certifies the absence of criminal records. Birth certificate. Ten (10) photos of 1 x 1 size. In the case of the above mentioned documentation, students should submit the originals and the copies should be properly translated into Spanish. These documents will be legalized before the Ministry of Foreign Relations of the student s country, and afterwards, it should be presented to the Cuban Diplomatic Mission for further authentication, acceptance and legalization. After the process has been concluded the documents will be returned to the applicant. The applicant will be held responsible of the custody and transfer of such necessary documentation for the admission and its presentation before the proper higher education authorities
Visa arrangements for traveling to Cuba under the status of university student. The chosen students need to have valid passports for their entry and stay in Cuba. The entry to the country will be made with a student Visa (D-2) that will be delivered by the Cuban Consulate or the Embassy, authorized by the Cuban Immigration Office (Dirección de Inmigración y Extranjería)by request of the university where the student will go. Travel insurance. The applicants will arrange a Travel Insurance Policy, covering medical expenses, granted by insurance companies acknowledged in Cuba, or by Cuban insurance entities (ASISTUR). The applicants should inquire about the procedures of repatriation in case of sudden illness, accident or death. When traveling to the country, the students should know all the necessary information about the level of coverage of the insurance policy. Consult ASISTUR through: E- mail: {HYPERLINK "mailto:seguros@asistur.cu"} Tel.:(53 7) 866 4499 Fax :(53 7) 866 8087 ALARM CENTER: (53 7) 866 8527, 8339 y 8920 Minimal Fees for Pre-graduate Studies. Other pre-graduate activities. Modality Internships Short Courses Minimal Price in Cuban Convertible Currency (CUC) 8.00 x teaching hour 5.00 x teaching hour The expenses by concept of accommodations and food are covered by the student, and they are not included in the pre-graduate studies tuition cost. The accommodation options are the following: Campus (very modest conditions). Rental houses (officially authorized by the Cuban State). Other state facilities existing in the territories.
Post-graduate Courses Diploma Courses, Trainings and Courses The Diploma Courses have the aim of specializing the student in one particular subject area, and enabling the acquisition of knowledge and academical, scientific and/or professional skills in any of the development stages of a Higher Education graduate, in correspondence to his/her professional or cultural training needs. The Diploma Courses are composed by a system of interrelated courses and/or trainings as well as other schooling forms, finishing with the elaboration of a thesis and its defense before an examination panel. The Training makes the basic and specialized instruction of the higher education graduates possible, particularly when getting skills and dexterity and in the take-up and introduction of new procedures and technologies with the purpose of complementing, updating, improving and consolidating their knowledge and practical skills. The Course, to a post-graduate level, enables the basic and specialized training of Higher Education graduates; it also comprises the organization of a group of contents that deal with relevant investigation results or transcendental matters, in order to complement or update the knowledge of the professionals that will receive it. Development of Masters in Collaboration with Cuban Universities The Masters Degree is a training process that propitiates a wide scientific culture and advanced domain of a branch of knowledge for the higher education graduate. It also provides the graduate with a high capacity for the academical and high level teaching exercise, skills for the research work and development; an environmentally friendly culture and a deepening on the topics related to professional ethics. The professional graduated from a Cuban Masters program obtains its degree of Master with precise specification of a discipline or an interdisciplinary area that certifies the fact that the graduate has broadened its theoretical, technological and professional development training, for the investigation and corresponding knowledge state to said discipline and interdisciplinary area. In order for the student to get this degree, an established number of credits in the program must be accumulated by passing all the subjects within of the syllabus, which includes the defense of a diploma paper before a board of teachers able to judge its quality. The Cuban Higher Education Institutions develop Masters programs in different areas of knowledge with enough academical rigor, guaranteed by the existence of a vast institutional tradition, the introduction of scientific investigation results, teacher bodies composed by prestigious professors and researchers that use productive teaching methods and the efficient use of resources. All of which have given the Cuban Masters programs
international recognition attested by the hundreds of foreign students already graduated from our Masters programs, the annual increase of new incomes, the Prize to the Quality recently granted to three Cuban Masters program, out of the five awarded, by the Ibero-American Postgraduate University Association. This accolade is the result of a continuous quality improvement strategy that encourages the achievement of higher levels of accreditation established in the Masters Evaluation and Accreditation System, enforced in Cuba for several years now. The Cuban Master s programs, approved by a national multidisciplinary commission, are focused on the investigation, and they cover basic courses (specialized and optional) that prepare the student for the planning and carrying out of a scientific investigation or innovation, or application of technologies, which results are to be presented in the form of a Diploma paper or Final Workshop before an examination board. A Masters program usually has a duration of two years. The Diploma Paper and other extracurricular activities, as publication of articles or participation in scientific events, may reach up to a 50% of the total amount of the program credits. In order to be accepted in a Masters program, the student must be a university graduate and meet all the admission requirements, established by the program s academical committee, which will be verified by means of interviews or admission exams. The universities offer several modalities to grant access to their Masters programs. One of them is for the student to have a steady permanence in Cuba during the Masters program. Another way that has turned out to be very advantageous for certain groups of students is that they carry out the program in their own countries. This variant requires that some teachers travel to the students nation so as to develop the program s courses, organize workshops or Diploma paper seminars and assist researchers. A third modality consists of developing the program in both countries, including the forming of the admission and the Diploma papers defense. The Cuban Academical Committee will decide, along with the foreign university, the contents of each country s stayings. In these two former cases, professors from the foreign universities will be able to take part of the Masters program teaching staff or the board of teachers, in correspondence with their experience and qualifications. Specific agreements will be signed to guarantee the viability of the program. The foreign universities will handle homologation, in the country, of the degrees granted by the Cuban universities.
PhD Training in Collaboration with Cuban Universities To matriculate in a PhD program, which degree is going to be granted by National Scientific Degrees Commission of the Republic of Cuba, it is indispensable to have concluded the higher education studies. If necessary, the student will have to take an admission exam so as to know if the applicant is ready to face the demands of a program of this nature. The academical authorities of the program, depending on the students topic of interest, will appoint a tutor that will be in charge of guiding its scientific training and the research, which results are to be presented in a thesis. This final paper will prove that the student has reached a high level of scientific maturity, capacity to face and solve scientific problems independently, and a profound theoretical and practical domain on the area of knowledge chosen. All of which will be under the control of scientific councils and scientific degrees commissions, accredited for that purpose. During the PhD training (3 or 4 years), the candidate will show, by means of exams, the satisfactory mastery of a foreign language (English, French, Russian or German), and a solid training on its specialty; will prepare and substantiate a written paper before the established examination board, in which the applicant will make an assessment from a social (ethical, political, cultural) perspective of its own professional activity or research. Partial results of the investigation should be socialized by publishing articles in specialized magazines, and participating in events with scientific communications. The program does not demand that all PhD candidates take a certain number of disciplines in the same way. The courses to be taken will be determined by the tutor and they will be in correspondence with the candidate s training needs in order to successfully achieve the investigation and pass the established academical exams. Before the doctoral dissertation (defense of the thesis before the examination panel), an act of pre- dissertation defense will be carried out in the teaching departments or research centers accredited to judge the work s quality. The PhD candidate will have ninety days, from that moment on, to make the suggested changes and present the definitive version of the thesis in the defense. For those who are not able to stay in Cuba for long periods of time so as to carry out their PhD studies, the Cuban universities offer a wide variety of modalities, in order for them to spend most part of the training process in their countries. However, no less than three stayings in Cuba are going to be necessary: in the first one, if necessary, the admission exam is taken, the theme is defined, the tutor is assigned, and the training program of the candidate is made. Two months will be enough for this process.
During the second staying, the partial results are analyzed with the tutor, the academical exams are taken and the pre- thesis defense is carried out. Another two months is the estimated time for this part of the procedure. If the remaining requirements have been met, the third staying will have an approximate duration of one month. This time will be used mostly to carry out the thesis defense. The steps to be followed in the first staying are mandatory. The amount, frequency, time and content of the other stayings can be adjusted in relation to the candidate s needs and possibilities. The formerly described process refers to candidates that would like to individually obtain the PhD scientific degree in any of the Cuban universities. In the case of groups, other modalities could be defined, which include moving Cuban professors to the group s country in order to give lectures, guide the researches, assist in the elaboration of the thesis and carry out academical exams. If this modality is chosen, the stayings in Cuba can be reduced. The Cuban universities also offer the possibility of carrying out the PhD programs structured in basic and specialized courses that propitiate the research skills development, prepare the candidates for the academical exercises and the elaboration and defense of the thesis. This modality can also be developed in the students nation. Professors from the foreign universities could integrate the teaching staff of the program in the last two cases. The procedures of pre- thesis defense and defense in any of the modalities will be carried out mandatorily in Cuba. Specific agreements will be signed to guarantee the viability of the program. The foreign University will be in charge of the homologation in the country of the diploma granted by The National Scientific Degrees Commission of the Republic of Cuba Spanish Language Courses The Cuban universities offer courses on Spanish language and Cuban culture throughout the whole year. The participants have the opportunity of learning and perfectioning their Spanish language in one of the universities, which provides a unique experience in the learning of this foreign language. Courses are offered for the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. There are also courses on commercial Spanish, all combined with encounters and visits to places of historical, cultural and recreational interest. The inscriptions can be made the first Mondays of every month during the whole year.
Lessons will take place from Monday to Friday with a duration of 4 to 5 years every day. The length of the courses will vary taking into account their characteristics. Groups will consist of 3 to 10 students. At the end of each course, the students will receive a certificate. The participation in the programs include: Access to academical activities, laboratories, special conferences and academical practices. Transportation to all the official activities of the program. Specialized visits, as part of the programs. The lessons are student- centered, with a communicative approach to develop listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, so as to enable the student to relate to Spanish- speaking people in different situations of the daily life. There are other courses that are designed specially to satisfy the students interests and needs. Language Courses These comprise semiannual or annual activities, devoted to perfection different languages. Necessary Documentation for the admission and procedures to be made. Certificate of Higher Education graduate. In the case of the latter, the original and one copy properly translated into Spanish will be needed. This document will be legalized before the Ministry of Foreign Relations of the student s country, and afterwards, it should be presented to the Cuban Diplomatic Mission for further authentication, acceptance and legalization. After the process has been concluded the documents will be returned to the applicant. Once the documentation is in Cuba, the copy will be presented before the Ministry of Foreign Relations and before the Law Office of the Ministry of Higher Education. The candidate will be held responsible of the custody and transfer of such necessary documentation for the admission and its presentation before the proper higher education authorities. Visa arrangements for traveling to Cuba under the status of university student. The chosen candidates need to have valid passports for their entry and stay in Cuba.
The entry to the country will be made with a student Visa (D-2) that will be delivered by the Cuban Consulate or the Embassy, authorized by the Cuban Immigration Office (Dirección de Inmigración y Extranjería)by request of the university where the student will go. Travel insurance. The applicants will arrange a Travel Insurance Policy, covering medical expenses, granted by insurance companies acknowledged in Cuba, or by Cuban insurance entities (ASISTUR). The applicants should inquire about the procedures of repatriation in case of sudden illness, accident or death. When traveling to the country, the students should know all the necessary information about the level of coverage of the insurance policy. Consult ASISTUR through: E- mail: {HYPERLINK "mailto:seguros@asistur.cu"} Tel.:(53 7) 866 4499 Fax :(53 7) 866 8087 ALARM CENTER: (53 7) 866 8527, 8339 y 8920 Minimal Fees for International Post- graduate Studies Modalities Minimal Price in Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC) PhD 6 000.00 Masters 3 500.00 Diploma course 30.00 for credit Training 30.00 for credit Internship 8.00 by teaching hour Short Course 5.00 by teaching hour Spanish Course 3.00 by teaching hour There are minimal fees for post- graduate studies approved, and these can vary depending on the university that offers them, the teaching staff and the accreditation of the program. The accommodation and food expenses are not included in the pre- graduate tuition cost. The options for accommodations are on: Campus (very modest conditions). Rental houses (officially authorized by the Cuban State). Other state facilities existing in the territories.
Pedagogical-Teaching Technical Assistance. The characteristics of the Cuban higher education system, which is based on the collaboration and interchange relations among universities, make possible that the most advanced scientific and didactic experiences are socialized and assimilated immediately by most teachers. Experience on provisioning services of Pedagogical-Teaching Technical Assistance. Since 1959, the presence of Cuban teachers and professors in dozens of countries in a selfless and disinterested way has been a customary practice acknowledged by all developing countries. In the last decade, with a radical change in the economical possibilities of the country, maintaining the same solidarity principles, but, in order to face the lack of economical resources, it has been necessary to coordinate with the foreign counterpart the financial support of these academical services. Under these conditions hundreds of Cuban higher education professors offer their valuable services in over twenty countries of Latin America and Europe. The results obtained have been excellent, thus attested by the high amount of the hiring universities requests for the extension of the professors agreed stayings. The quality of the teaching staff s training is assured by rigorous national system of teaching categories. The PhDs and Masters Degree, focused on the scientific investigation are regulated and monitored by National Commissions of high academical rigor. Services offered: Diploma Courses Programs. Thematical Post-graduate Courses. Specializations and Masters. PhD Programs. Scientific or Methodological Assistance. Pre-graduate Courses. Other specific requests of the contracting university. Basis for hiring. One compulsory requirement will be the signing of agreements between the contracting university and the Cuban one. The institutions that will hire the services of Cuban professors should be higher education centers or their academical counterparts, with national or international recognition. In all cases the agreements will be based on the absolute respect to laws and legal provisions that regulate the functioning of higher education in each country
The hiring of integral projects or educational services packages that group sets of professors will be favored, although hiring individual professors is not excluded. Economical Conditions. The contracting university will cover the expenses of: Monthly salary (in relation to the professors scientific degree). International travel ticket (round trip). Proper working and accommodation conditions. Life and work insurance. Allowance for the professor s staying. Repatriation in case of disease or death. Every contract will have its specifications, determined by mutual agreement of the universities involved. The Cuban university will guarantee that the invited professors have the required scientific and pedagogical level, and the strict compliance with the terms of the employment contract.
Contacts in Cuba Export Department. Mail: {HYPERLINK "mailto:dexp@mes.gob.cu"} Contacts of the Universities: Universities Acronyms E- mail Universidad de Pinar del Río UPR malena@upr.edu.cu Universidad de La Habana UH imilan@rect.uh.cu Instituto Superior Politécnico "José A Echevarría" (Higher Polytechnic Institute José Antonio Echevarría ) { HYPERLINK "mailto:lourdeshr@tesla.cujae.e du.cu" } Decano.ext@tesla.cujae.edu.cu ISPJAE Universidad Agraria de La Habana (Agrarian University of Havana) UNAH silvia@unah.edu.cu Universidad de Matanzas UMCC alberto.medina@umcc.cu Universidad Central de Las Villas UCLV fabelo@uclv.edu.cu Universidad de Cienfuegos UCf lpomares@ucf.edu.cu Universidad de Sancti Spíritus USS {HYPERLINK "mailto:idolidia@uniss.edu.cu"} Universidad de Ciego de Avila UNICA nquintana@informatica.unica.cu Universidad de Camagüey UC florangel.vidal@reduc.edu.cu Universidad de Las Tunas ULT yrodriguez@ult.edu.cu Universidad de Holguín UHOLM mriveron@ict.uho.edu.cu Instituto Superior Minero metalúrgico de Moa ( Mining and Metals Higher Institute of Moa) ISMMM jmestre@ismm.edu.cu Universidad de Granma UDG mayra.negrin@udg.co.cu Universidad de Oriente (University of the Eastern part of Cuba) UO dri@ri.uo.edu.cu
Annex I. Subject Areas for Pre-graduate and Post-graduate Studies, and Higher Education Centers where they are offered. Subject Areas Agricultural Sciences Forestry Veterinarian Sciences Natural and Exact Sciences Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences Social Sciences Pedagogical Sciences Sciences of Education Computer, Information and Arts Sciences Economical Sciences Technical Sciences Geological and Metal Sciences Health Sciences Languages Universities in Cuba UPR, UNAH, UMCC, UCLV, USS, UNICA, ULT, UDG, UPR UNAH, UCLV, UC, UDG UH, UCLV, UO UH, UCLV UH, UCLV, UCf, UO UPR, ISPJAE, UNAH, UMCC, UCLV, UCf, UNICA, UC, UHOLM, UO UPR; UH; ISPJAE, UMCC, UC UH, UCLV, UCF, UO UPR; UH; UMCC, UCLV, UCf, UNICA, UC, UHOLM, UO ISPJAE, UMCC, UCLV, Ucf, UC, UHOLM, ISMMM, UO ISPJAE, ISMMM UO UH, UCLV, UHOLM