Northeastern Secures Academic Partnerships for Co-ops, Research in Cuba
May 12, 2016
Northeastern University has signed agreements with institutions in Cuba officially establishing partnerships that will lead to a range of new academic opportunities—from global co- ops to research—for Northeastern students and faculty.
University leaders and faculty from Northeastern met on campus Tuesday with a Cuban delegation from the Fundación Antonio Núñez Jiménez and the University of Havana to sign the agreements, which come on the heels of a Northeastern delegation’s visit to Cuba in March to explore academic and research partnerships there. The recent moves to begin normalizing of relations between the United States and Cuba paved the way for Northeastern to pursue these opportunities.
While a handful of U.S. higher education institutions already offer study abroad and language immersion programs in Cuba, these new partnerships position Northeastern at the forefront of expanding academic opportunities in the country. They will also serve as the foundation for other potential partnerships with these two institutions in the future.
Under President Joseph E. Aoun’s leadership, Northeastern has significantly expanded its signature co- op program on a global scale. Students engaged in experiential learning opportunities in 131 countries from 2006 to 2014, and there were 10,395 co- op placements in 2014–15—up from 6,301 in 2006- 07. Northeastern counts more than 3,100 co- op employers in the U.S. and around the world.
The Fundación Antonio Núñez Jiménez, or FANJ, is an environmental research non- governmental organization that primarily engages in studying the impacts of climate change on Cuba and promoting the environmental- consciousness of the Cuban people. Under the memorandum of understanding signed with Northeastern, FANJ would accept co- op students and work with Northeastern faculty to establish joint marine science, environmental sustainability, and social science- related research projects.