The 7th Forum of Russian and Cuban University Rectors, a key platform for strengthening the two countries’ cooperation in science and education, has opened at Lomonosov Moscow State University.
“President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel have repeatedly emphasised the importance of the strategic partnership between our countries. Cooperation in science and higher education is among its key areas. Currently, around 200 agreements are in effect between universities in Russia and Cuba. This spring, the first branch of a Russian university – Southern Federal University – opened on the Island of Freedom. Our partners’ interest in expanding academic exchange programmes, Russian technological developments, and joint scientific research continues to grow. I wish the participants of the Forum of Russian and Cuban Rectors productive work and many new joint projects,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko, Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Co-chair of the Intergovernmental Russian–Cuban Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation.
He added that cooperation in science and higher education had been a key topic during the previous meeting of the intergovernmental commission in Havana.
At the opening ceremony, the Russian side was represented by Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Konstantin Mogilevsky, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, and Academician Viktor Sadovnichy, President of the Russian Union of Rectors, Rector of Lomonosov Moscow State University.
“The warm relations between Russia and Cuba are largely the result of long-standing cooperation between our universities. The leadership of both countries has always placed great emphasis on education. The history of these relations includes many memorable moments: from Fidel Castro’s visit to Moscow State University in May 1963 to the opening, by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, of the branch of Southern Federal University at the University of Havana this year. For decades, young people from Russia and Cuba have learnt about each other’s cultures, studied Russian and Spanish, and exchanged academic and scientific experience. The opportunity for ongoing and open dialogue that inter-university cooperation provides creates a unique atmosphere of trust. This solid foundation enables us to further expand cooperation in the humanities,” Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Konstantin Mogilevsky noted.
The current agreements between Russian and Cuban universities promote the expansion of academic exchanges, joint research, training for leading Cuban companies, and the implementation of Russian language programmes. Under these agreements, faculty members of the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute and the University of Havana have recorded Russian language lessons for Cuban television, while Southern Federal University has opened a mirror Laboratory for the Application of Artificial Intelligence in Engineering Sciences at the Technological University of Havana.
“We are witnessing rapid changes in the global landscape, with new multilateral formats of interaction taking shape. This year, Cuba became a BRICS partner country. Within the BRICS university community, we are working to create a ranking of BRICS universities. A year ago, during the BRICS leaders’ summit in Kazan, the pilot results were presented. The BRICS university ranking is based on the indicators of the Three University Missions Moscow-based international ranking. Today, this ranking is one of the largest in the world, surpassing even the well-known QS ranking in scope. In Russia, this initiative has received support at the highest governmental level,” Viktor Sadovnichy emphasised.
The 7th Forum of University Rectors of Russia and Cuba was also attended by Minister of Higher Education of Cuba Walter Baluja Garcia, as well as rectors and vice rectors from 10 leading Cuban universities. Key topics on the agenda include prospects for bilateral scientific and educational cooperation, the development of academic mobility, the creation of joint educational programmes and research centres, the strengthening of inter-university associations, the development of human resources for the economies of both countries, and the expansion of cooperation within multilateral frameworks, such as BRICS.
The 7th Forum of University Rectors of Russia and Cuba is supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Russian Union of Rectors, and the Ministry of Higher Education of the Republic of Cuba.
Following the official part of the forum, a working meeting took place between Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov and Cuban Minister of Higher Education Walter Baluja Garcia.
