Ukrainian-Cuban Dialogue has begun at NUBiP of Ukraine!

   On November 15, 2019, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the founding of Havana, a delegation of the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Ukraine visited NUBiP of Ukraine. During the visit Rector Stanislav Nikolaenko met with the Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, Natacha Diaz Aguilera. Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work, International Activity and Development, Vadym Tkachuk, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Pedagogy, Vasyl Shynkaruk and Dean of the Faculty of Livestock Raising and Water Bioresources, Vadym Kondratyuk participated in the discussion of possible cooperation.

The participants discussed prospects for further cooperation with Cuban counterparts, in particular possible cooperation with Cuba's higher education institutions and participation of NUBiP delegation in the XII International Congress of Higher Education, which will be held on February 10-14, 2020 in Havana. The possibility of signing a memorandum of cooperation between our university and Cuba's leading higher education institutions was also considered.

After the meeting with Rector Stanislav Nikolaenko, the Cuban delegation met with NUBiP teachers and international students.

The event took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere. The Ambassador dedicated her report to the history of Havana and preservation of cultural and historical heritage, which is extremely relevant for Kyiv. The Republic of Cuba has a lot of experience in restoring historic sites. The process was successful and approved by UNESCO, and can serve as a good example for Ukraine. ‘Mz Natacha Diaz Aguilera's advice is relative for future international relations professionals,’ said Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Pedagogy, Vasyl Shynkaruk.

Dean of the Faculty of Livestock Raising and Water Bioresources, Vadym Kondratyuk, convincingly assured that the meeting was only the first step to cooperation between the faculties of NUBiP of Ukraine and Cuban partners.

Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work, International Activity and Development, Vadym Tkachuk emphasized that the meeting was a new impetus in cooperation with the Republic of Cuba, as NUBiP of Ukraine had trained 182 specialists in different fields of agricultural production for the Cuban national economy, and our scientists together with their foreign counterparts had already worked on numerous technical and scientific projects. The Vice-Rector also noted that Cuba was one of the first countries to support Ukraine after the Chernobyl disaster, having hosted over 24,000 children from Ukraine for rehabilitation.

The highlight of the meeting was the concert program: the guests enjoyed the poetry of the outstanding fighter for freedom and independence of Cuba, Antonio Guerrero Rodriguez. Voitvoice pop singing studio, represented by students Anastasia Parfenyuk and Olga Astafieva, brilliantly performed several songs. The program ended with a video about Havana.

Summarizing the results of the meeting, Mz Natacha Diaz Aguilera and the deans of the faculties agreed to continue the cooperation by creating a working group on preparing the draft memorandum, which is scheduled to be signed early next year.

The meeting ended with a collective photo, commemorating the visit of the delegation of the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba to NUBiP of Ukraine.

Victoria Khvist, Olena Kropyvko,
associate professors of the Department of
International Relations and Social Sciences
of the Faculty of Humanities and Pedagogy