Center for Cuba Collaboration and Scholarship Calls for Project Proposals

The University of Alabama Center for Cuba Collaboration and Scholarship is calling for faculty members to submit research project proposals to partner with colleagues in Cuba.

Project proposals are due by November 1st, and both faculty members who have visited Cuba before and those new to working in Cuba are allowed to apply. The Center will take up to 12 professors on the trip February 28- March 5, 2016.

These proposals should include a brief description of the project’s aims, a list of Cuban colleagues, proposed or potential financial resources, and the applicant’s contact information. If the applicant does not have any contacts in Cuba, the Center can assist.

The University first sent a group of faculty and administrators to Havana in 2002, with the goal of forming relations with academic personnel in Cuba. Today, the University has relations with the University of Havana, University of San Gerónimo, Instituto de Artes (ISA), CUJAI, CEHSEU, Taller Experimental de Gráfica, and most recently in the medical field with ELAM and the Ministry of Health (MINSAP).

Originally developed through the College of Arts & Sciences, the Cuba collaborations have since spread campus-wide. There have since been 150 working trips by faculty and administrators to Cuba facilitated by the program, with an additional 60 undergraduates having studied abroad at the University of Havana.

These faculty and administrator collaborations have taken shape in a variety of disciplines including theatrical and musical performances, scientific discoveries, archaeological digs, scholarly exchanges, book arts publications, and many other endeavors.

The Center Advisory Board consists of three deans: Dean Robert Olin (Arts & Sciences), Dean Mark Nelson (Communication & Information Sciences), Dean Richard Streiffer (Community Health Sciences); three faculty members – Seth Panitch (Theatre & Dance – A&S), Yasmin Neggers (Human Nutrition & Hospitality Management – HES), Steve Jones (Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering – ENG); and one ex-officio member, Tom Wolfe (Music – A&S).

Those who are interested in collaboration with Cuba should submit their research proposals to the Cuba Center’s co-directors, Steve Miller at steve@ua.edu and Michael Schnepf at mschnepf@bama.ua.edu.