Students study abroad in Cuba

Despite a U.S. embargo against Cuba since 1962, Pitt students soon will be on their way to the… Despite a U.S. embargo against Cuba since 1962, Pitt students soon will be on their way to the forbidden island.

The Center for Latin American Studies and the Spanish department have teamed up with the Study Abroad Office to bring back another program geared toward strengthening the language skills of Spanish-speaking students. It’s Pitt in Cuba.’

Pitt’s Study Abroad Office offers countless Pitt-developed, Pitt-recognized and exchange programs to make this dream a reality for students. Some of these programs include trips to the U.K., China, Costa Rica, France, India, Italy and Tanzania.

‘Pitt is one of the few schools that can run programs to Cuba,’ said Jeff Whitehead, senior program manager at Pitt’s Study Abroad Office. ‘It’s a very interesting country, and it has a lot to offer students. They will have an opportunity on a daily basis to practice the language, and they will definitely come back with stronger Spanish.’

Along with Pitt in London, the Pitt in Cuba program will become one of just two semester-long programs currently offered by the University. Set to take place in the spring of 2009, it will also replace an older Pitt in Cuba program that was once offered during the summer.

Besides requiring universities to obtain a special education license to travel to Cuba, new government regulations mandate that all study abroad programs to the country must last for a full semester, Whitehead said.

Students who want to study in Cuba next spring must have taken at least three semesters of college-level Spanish and may be required to write an essay in Spanish as a part of their application process.

Whitehead also suggested that students be familiar with Latin America, study the history and culture and understand the relationship between the United States and Cuba, particularly during the last 50 years.

In addition to these requirements, students will need to obtain a passport, go through a special visa process and complete most of the tasks required to apply for the other study abroad programs at Pitt.

Once in Cuba, students will live in the Hotel Kohly guest house with other Pitt students and obtain a student ID from the University of Havana.’

Additionally, students take four courses during the semester, and all of these classes will be taught completely in Spanish, Whitehead said. These courses include a Cuban culture and Spanish conversation class, as well as a small menu of electives. In the middle of the semester, however, students will obtain the unique opportunity to travel to other destinations outside of Havana. Although the exact locations have not been mapped out yet, this excursion is scheduled to last at least a week, Whitehead said.

Alejandro de la Fuente, associate professor of Latin American history at Pitt, said that Spanish-speaking students will benefit from traveling to Cuba because they would get to study in the only socialist society that exists in the Americas.

‘They would have the opportunity to judge for themselves about the problems and possible virtues of the Cuban development model, which is based on state ownership of the means of production,’ he said.

‘Students would also learn about the so-called successes of the Cuban revolution in the areas of health care and education, as well as limitations to individual and political rights.’

Born and raised in Cuba, de la Fuente also stressed the importance of meeting and interacting with members of the Cuban population throughout the semester.

‘They would get to know real Cubans and learn about the country and about their lives through them,’ he said.

Similarly, when Whitehead visited Cuba in March 2007, he recalled how his experiences turned out to be very different from his original expectations.

‘The people are very warm and friendly,’ he said. ‘I was surprised by the people, culture and the city.

Old Havana is very much architecturally where it would have been historically. Cuba has definitely preserved its history and roots.’

Overall, Pitt in Cuba will cost $11,250 for in-state students and $14,750 for out-of-state students. This fee includes everything except personal expenses, flight, taxi transportation, entry fees to museums and other forms of entertainment. Some meals will also be included at the hotel.

Although Whitehead said there are no special scholarships available specifically for students enrolled in the Pitt in Cuba program, students can apply for most of the scholarships offered for the other study abroad programs at Pitt.

Nevertheless, students who travel to Cuba next spring will not only come back with stronger Spanish skills, but they will also return with a better sense of the Cuban culture altogether.

‘As I always tell my students, today’s students represent the first generation of Americans that will have to deal with a post-Castro Cuba,’ said de la Fuente. ‘They should try to understand why Americans cannot travel to Cuba, why about 10 percent of Cuba’s population lives in the U.S. today, and why Cuba and the United States have not maintained diplomatic relations for almost 50 years.’