A long-running academic exchange partnership between Cuban and Russian higher education institutions has entered its third year, as a key component of one Cuban university’s ongoing push to expand its global academic footprint. Triana Poll, a researcher involved with the initiative, shared details of the program with Prensa Latina via the messaging platform WhatsApp, outlining the structure, participating institutions, and long-term goals of the collaborative effort.
Four leading Russian higher education institutions are core partners in the current iteration of the exchange, with Southern Federal University taking the lead in coordinating program logistics and activities. Joining Southern Federal University are three other prominent Russian academic centers: Siberian Federal University, the Pushkin Institute based in Moscow, and Moscow Pedagogical University.
This year’s program kicked off earlier this fall and is scheduled to continue through October 18, with a diverse curriculum designed to support both skill-building and collaborative research. Participants take part in intensive Russian language coursework, engage in structured researcher exchanges, and receive one-on-one mentorship tailored to advance each individual’s specific scientific research projects.
Poll emphasized that the hands-on, interactive model of the exchange creates tangible long-term benefits beyond the immediate program period. By bringing early-career researchers and students from both countries into direct working contact, the initiative accelerates individual research progress while laying the groundwork for lasting institutional partnerships, long-term mentorship relationships, co-authored academic publications, and a wide range of other future cooperative projects.
A small cohort of Cuban scholars and students is participating in this year’s edition from the University of Camagüey. Two undergraduate students, Marlon Garcia Barata studying Computer Engineering and Lianyi Bisbe Montero majoring in Chemical Engineering, earned selection from across Cuba to take part in the international experience. Poll herself is part of the cohort, conducting on-site research focused on science communication. Additionally, PhD candidate Joaquin Marquez Meriño from the University of Camagüey’s Faculty of Applied Sciences is currently completing an academic residency at Southern Federal University.
Looking ahead, the program has scheduled additional collaborative activities to deepen cross-cultural and academic ties in the coming weeks. Cuban participants will deliver a series of public lectures on Cuban culture for the student body at Siberian Federal University. Separately, delegations from the partner institutions will hold formal meetings with Siberian Federal University administrators to explore expanded collaboration across multiple high-priority fields, including computer science, chemistry, biology, linguistics, and science communication, with the goal of formalizing new partnership agreements down the line.