Cuba programmes

Audrey Barber returned recently from the Cuba Semester Program. "We all had a week off to do research and I found it to be one of the best trips of my life." (Photo courtesy Audrey Barber)

Explore two distinct programs, the Cuba Study Tour and the longer option, Cuba Semester Program. These programs are administered through the Department of International Development Studies.

I. Cuba Study Tour

Offered every April, the Cuba Study Tour lasts six weeks — four weeks in Halifax and two weeks in Cuba with Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO) at the University of Havana. In Cuba, students learn about Cuban culture and society by attending daily lectures (translated simultaneously in English) and visiting sites in and around Havana. Students will be required to keep a daily journal, conduct an interview with a Cuban citizen and prepare a research paper on an approved topic related to Cuban development.

The program is described as physically challenging. It requires living in shared accommodations with basic facilities.

Cuban Culture and Society (INTD or SPAN 3310.06) counts as one full credit. Prerequisites are INTD 2001.03 and INTD 2002.03. SPAN 1020 X/Y.06 is recommended but not required.

Dalhousie students Simone Feller, Alison McCabe and Leigh Jaschke explore Havana while on the Cuba Study Tour. (Mark Rushton photo)

To apply, download the application form [Word]. Applications will be accepted from students in their second year and onward. The deadline for applications is at the end of November.

II. Cuba Semester Program

The Cuba Semester Program is a longer program — lasting 13 weeks — and is worth three full credits, either in Spanish or IDS. Students enrolled in their third or fourth years of Spanish or IDS programs will need read, write and speak in Spanish (at least two years of Spanish or equivalent) to participate. Prerequisites are SPAN 1020.06 and SPAN 2020.06.

Offered in both September and January, the Cuba Semester Program is a collaborative project between Dalhousie University and the Facultad Lationamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO), a regional organization in Latin America for the development of social science research and post graduate studies. FLACSO-Cuba is located at the University of Havana.

The semester provides for an intense learning experience. The first two weeks are spent learning more Spanish and getting accustomed to the Cuban dialect.

"I feel that it has been one of the most liberating, but at times challenging, experiences in my life," says Audrey Barber, a fourth-year student majoring in Spanish and International Development Studies. (Click here to read more about Audrey's experiences on the Cuba Semester Program.)

From there, the next five weeks are spent learning about Cuban society: its economy, politics, environment and educational system. The classes are conducted in Spanish.

The next four weeks of the program are set aside for exploration, travel and research. Students write a research paper in Spanish which is presented to the FLACSO faculty and the class.

The University of Havana, founded in 1728.

The format, in brief, is:

Two weeks: Spanish language with FLACSO
Five weeks: classes with FLACSO-University of Havana
One week: Exploring Cuba
Four weeks: Field research
One week: Final preparation

The courses taken during the Cuba Semester Program are:

Spanish Language and Grammar (INTD 3301.03), a half credit;
Social Development in Cuba (INTD 3302.03), a half credit;
The Political Economy of Cuba (INTD 3303.03), a half credit;
Sustainable Development in Cuba (INTD 3304.03), a half credit;
and Field Research Practicum (INTD 3306.06), one full credit.

Of course, taking classes is just one part of the educational experience in Cuba. Students board with Cuban families. This is legal housing approved by FLACSO.

To apply for the program, download the application form [Word]. The deadline for applications is no later than the second week of November for those applying to the fall program and no later than the second week of February for those applying to the winter program.

Contact

To learn more about the Cuba Semester Program, please contact: Marian MacKinnon, Cuba Program Coordinator, Department of International Development Studies

494-3814 or 494-2191
E-mail: ids@dal.ca
(Study abroad inquiries)