TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Indiana State University is announcing an educational exchange with the largest and most prestigious university in Cuba.
Havana University and Indiana State University will be working together in a historic one-to-one educational exchange that will include instruction, research, and student study abroad experiences. Havana University’s Center for Hemispheric and United States Studies and its Latin American School of Social Sciences will be included in the exchange, making it the first educational exchange agreement of this scale in Indiana.
Both the Havana University Center for Hemispheric and United States Studies, and the Latin American School of Social Sciences offers many chances for ISU students and faculty to experience collaborative work and exchanges in a broad range of studies.
“Indiana State University is pleased to include University of Havana on the list of global universities with which we partner for educational exchanges,” said Christopher Olsen, Ph.D., Indiana State University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “We look forward to providing our students and faculty with expanded opportunities to gain a greater worldview on public policy, political science, social and natural sciences, humanities, and healthcare through study abroad, classroom instruction, and research collaboration with University of Havana faculty.”
Starting in Fall 2023, students and faculty from the two universities will have the opportunity to engage in collaborative research, a chance to enhance and expand their course’s curriculum, and Indiana State students will be able to participate in study abroad opportunities at the University of Havana.
Indiana State University will join about 80 other universities across the country, including Harvard University, the University of Alabama, and Florida International University, that have educational exchanges with the University of Havana.
“This partnership is part of Indiana State’s ongoing efforts to further internationalize our campus and provide a global perspective to our students’ academic experiences,” said Chris McGrew, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Global Engagement at Indiana State University. “For our students who might not otherwise be able to afford to study abroad, this exchange also provides a valuable and cost-effective way to use their ISU Advantage Experience Grants to travel abroad and experience another culture.”
The Executive Director of the School of Nursing, Jill Moore, Ph.D., RN, CNE was part of a group of Indiana State representatives who traveled to Cuba two weeks ago to meet with the University of Havana’s leadership to finalize the educational exchange agreement.
“The College of Health and Human Services is thrilled to have the opportunity to conduct cross-cultural research with the University of Havana in the areas of nursing, social work, and human development and family sciences,” said Dr. Moore. “What’s even more exciting about this partnership is that it allows students to travel abroad and receive a life-changing educational experience with a different culture, healthcare, and political systems.”
With connections to the University that are decades long, Indiana State University, Raul Rodriguez, University of Havana’s Director of the Center for U.S. and Hemispheric Studies, has worked with two Indiana State Political Science Professors, Michael Erisman, Ph.D., and Gaston Fernandez, Ph.D., in arranging for two student visits to Cuba.
In addition to the educational exchange with the University of Havana, Indiana State has educational exchange agreements with Edge Hill University, near Liverpool, England; and the University of Zagreb in Croatia.
For more information, visit Indiana State’s Center for Global Engagement website.
