(10.03.20) Between 10 and 14 February, a large number of attendees came together at the Universidad 2020 conference to discuss a range of higher education policy issues and in particular Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. The 12th edition of the conference was organised by the Cuban Ministry of Higher Education and Cuba's universities. During the event, the DFG along with a German delegation of science and research institutions met with representatives of the country's research community.

Cuba is traditionally an attractive academic partner to Germany, in a cooperative relationship that was particularly nurtured during the era of former East Germany. and has been continued in old and new forms over the last three decades. Recent years have seen a modest number of successful German-Cuban research projects, including some which were funded by the DFG. The academic dialogue between the two countries is certainly dynamic: in 2018, 180 Cuban students were enrolled at German universities and according to the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) there are currently 78 German-Cuban cooperation agreements. The Caribbean island has a very well-established science and research landscape. While in 1959 Cuba had just three higher education institutions, by 2019 this figure had risen to 50, with 126 off-campus university sites. The country invests around 13% of its gross domestic product in the education sector. Universities and research centres are integrated in government strategies and have clearly defined research lines. The most popular subjects of study are medicine (36.4%), educational science (19.4%) and engineering subjects (13.5%).

In addition to researchers, rectors and representatives of Cuban ministries and organisations, the event was also attended by numerous international representatives of research and science policy, especially from Latin America. Education, training, research, science and internationalisation were discussed in plenary sessions and workshops.

The German delegation, which was organised by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) and the Cuban Ministry of Higher Education (MES), focused on the following topics: bilateral research cooperation between Germany and Cuba, the specific potential of applied sciences in German-Cuban higher education cooperation (innovation, transfer and the "dual study" model), and the strengthening and internationalisation of teacher training. The conference also included a number of presentations and events provided by German organisations, for example a presentation and discussion of the DIES programme by the DAAD and HRK, and an event on the funding programmes offered by German institutions, during which attendees were introduced to DFG, HRK and DAAD programmes as well as the programmes and funding lines of the Bavarian Academic Center for Latin America (Baylat), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Max Planck Society. The German institutions also ran a shared booth in the exhibition area throughout the conference.

As a member of the delegation, Dr. Kathrin Winkler, director of the DFG's Latin America office, was able to speak to representatives of Cuba's higher education and health ministries about the possibility of funding scientific relations between Germany and Cuba through various measures to promote cooperation, such as workshops and calls for proposals. "The interest shown by Cuban researchers in collaboration with colleagues in Germany made a very positive impression on me, and the open attitudes at all levels make me optimistic that the bilateral cooperation will only grow stronger," said Winkler after the five days of the conference.