28 November 2022
On November 28th, the University’s Rector Anatoly Torkunov welcomed a delegation from Cuba, consisting of the Director of the Fidel Castro Ruz Center Rene Gonzalez Barrios, the Vice-Rector of the Cuban Higher Institute of International Relations (ISRI) Manuel Carbonell Vidal, and the Third Secretary of the Cuban Embassy Adrian Rivas Gutierrez. MGIMO University was also represented by the Vice-Rector for Science and Research Andrey Baykov.
The parties discussed Russian–Cuban bilateral relations, including in education, as well as cooperation between the University and other Latin American countries. The Rector dwelled on the existing cooperation agreements between MGIMO University and the universities of the region.
Those present discussed the prospects for cooperation between MGIMO University and ISRI as well as the Fidel Castro Ruz Center.
Established one year ago, the Fidel Castro Ruz Center aims at keeping the Fidel Castro’s legacy. The Center is ready to provide access to its materials, including the digitalized archive documents for the researchers who specialize in the history of the Cuban revolution and the legacy of the comandante.
ISRI serves as a university and a diplomatic academy, with 80% of its alumni joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cuban diplomatic missions and 62% of all diplomats of the country being the ISRI graduates. This year, the Institute has 164 students in its specialist programs and 124 students in its MA programs.
The parties expressed their mutual interest in developing bilateral cooperation between the universities, in particular in exchanging academic programs and experience. Taking into account the current challenges related to the air connectivity between the countries, the participants stressed the good prospects for developing remote cooperation programs.
The MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov mentioned that the University had opportunities to allot a certain number of scholarships for students who are citizens of the Republic of Cuba as well as the internship programs for researchers specializing in international relations.
