Representatives from The State University of New York at Potsdam and La Universidad de Cienfuegos recently signed a memorandum of agreement formalizing their educational partnership in a ceremony at the Cuban university campus.

SUNY Potsdam was one of the first American universities to establish a relationship with the University of Cienfuegos since U.S.-Cuba relations were normalized in 2014. Potsdam has run two faculty delegations, participated in six editions of Cuba TIES, has run four short-term faculty-led courses with the University of Cienfuegos, and signed one of the first MOUs.

"This collaboration will be based on friendship, academic excellence, respect for diverse perspectives, and an understanding that there is strength in inclusion," said SUNY Potsdam Interim Provost Dr. Alan Hersker.

The partnership will expand this year, with the launch of the 2023 Cienfuegos Summer Session, the most extensive and diverse summer study abroad session ever offered at a Cuban university. All actively enrolled undergraduates studying the U.S. are welcome to apply. Applications are being accepted now on a rolling basis.

Students will be able to choose two courses from a range of topics and earn college credit from SUNY Potsdam, while spending six weeks exploring Cuba and taking part in experiential learning activities along the way. There is no Spanish language requirement to participate, and all classes will be taught in English or in Spanish with translation.

Known as "La Perla Del Sur (The Pearl of the South)," Cienfuegos is located on the southern coast on a bay off the Caribbean Sea. Its historic city center in the French neoclassical style is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Students will stay with host families and be immersed in the daily life of the city of Cienfuegos for approximately six weeks.

The summer session will include experiential learning opportunities through work and exchanges with community projects, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other sectors within the community tied to each student's selected course of study. Students will also have the opportunity to visit Havana and the colonial city of Trinidad for an expanded cultural experience.

"SUNY Potsdam has been a leader in SUNY's Cuba engagement since establishing a multifaceted exchange relationship with the University of Cienfuegos in 2017, including joint performances with faculty and students from The Crane School of Music's Latin Jazz Ensemble that people are still talking about in Cuba! This sort of educational, cultural and artistic exchange supports rich global learning experiences from students of all backgrounds in the best way possible. It is wonderful to see Potsdam taking the lead with reopening SUNY's study abroad activity in Cuba," said Sally Crimmins Villela, associate vice chancellor for global affairs for the State University of New York.

The program is administered through Civitas Global Educational Services, which is dedicated to creating bridges between cultures and nations through education and partnership building. To learn more about the summer session, including application information and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit www.civitasges.com/go-abroad-2/ucf-summer-session-2023 or email cubaprograms@civitasges.com.