Polytechnic University was visited by Advisor of the Embassy of Cuba in Russia

On September 16^th, Gustavo Jose Cobreiro Suarez, the Advisor for Education and Science of the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in the Russian Federation visited St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The visit began at the international campus, where Mr. Cobreiro met with Cuban students and visited the Admission Office, language laboratories and classrooms where foreign students are taught the Russian language. The next destination was the Technopolis Polytechnic Research Building, where the Advisor for Education and Science of the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in the Russian Federation visited the Open Education Center, the TV studio and the Polytechnic supercomputer center. After that, negotiations with the leadership of SPbPU took place on the site Technopolis Polytech: the guest of honor was welcomed by the First Vice-Rector Vitaliy V. Sergeev and the Vice-Rector for International Affairs Dmitry Arseniev.

I like Polytechnic University because I am a civil engineer by profession, shared Gustavo Jose Cobreiro Suarez, Advisor for Education and Science at the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in the Russian Federation, I studied both in Cuba and in Russia, worked as deputy dean of the civil engineering faculty, then — vice rector, after many years was rector of Havana University. My whole life has been in the field of education. I am very glad to be here today at Polytechnic as the facilities and opportunities are very good here.

A considerable part of the negotiations was devoted to the development of cooperation between Cuban universities and SPbPU in the field of education. First Vice-Rector Vitaliy V. Sergeev pointed out the university’s interest in cooperation in the field of postgraduate studies. In the future, we can do a whole program on the list of directions. Polytechnic University is authorized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education to award academic degrees. Only 12 universities in Russia have this right, noted the first vice-rector.

Today, the Republic of Cuba has a «One Hundred Scholarships» program, which gives Cuban students the opportunity to study at Russia’s leading universities at the expense of the Cuban Ministry of Higher Education. Participants of the negotiations discussed additional opportunities for Cuban students to study at Russian universities — in particular, through the international Olympiad Open Doors: Russian Scholarship project. The winners of the Olympiad will be able to study free of charge in the master’s and postgraduate programs of the chosen university.

Polytechnic University is a co-organizer of the Open Doors International Olympiad, and talented students come to us every year through it. And, of course, we are interested in having Cuban students come to us as well. Polytechnic University is famous for its ties with real industry, invests a lot in equipment so students can work in advanced laboratories and research centers, and pays great attention to the comfort and adaptation of international students, commented Dmitry Arseniev, vice-rector for international affairs.

Not only Cuban undergraduate and graduate students, but also teachers can get quality competencies at SPbPU: Mr. Cobreiro expressed his desire to send Cuban teachers for training. Russian colleagues noted that in this case the best solution would also be to study in postgraduate programs, which involves individual work and great opportunities.

At the end of the talks, the participants identified a number of priority areas for the development of cooperation between SPbPU and Cuban universities. Among them are biomedicine, biotechnology, construction, energy, artificial intelligence and additive technologies. In the near future, a delegation of Polytechnic professors and experts will be formed to discuss specific issues of cooperation. It is planned that the first negotiations will take place within the framework of the International Congress of Higher Education Institutions, which will be held in Cuba in November 2022.

There are good relations between Russia and Cuba now, a lot of students from Cuba come to you to study engineering and humanities. This is very important for the development of our country. Polytechnic is a beautiful university, there are wonderful people here. I’ve seen your equipment, the possibilities of distance learning, the supercomputer, the laboratories — all this gives great opportunities for growth and development. I hope that in the future more Cuban students will join these processes, noted Gustavo Jose Cobreiro Suarez, Advisor for Education and Science of the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in the Russian Federation.

Prepared by the SPbPU International Office