In brief
University of Camagüey’s rector Julio César Madera announced a new initiative to export academic services, securing more than $140,000 from the Dominican Republic and Mexico. The strategy seeks to broaden Cuba’s research and teaching capacity, promote renewable energies, artificial intelligence and sustainable food production, and strengthen ties with countries such as Spain, Belgium, Russia, China and Brazil.
On November 5, 2026, in an on‑site press conference held in Camagüey, Cuba, the rector of the University of Camagüey, Julio César Madera, unveiled an ambitious programme to export academic services and generate foreign exchange for the institution. Madera highlighted that the university has already raised in excess of $140,000 through collaborations with universities in the Dominican Republic and Mexico.
According to Madera, the export of graduate courses, research‑support services, and consulting has become a new pillar of the university’s economic policy. The initiative is intended to diversify revenue streams, strengthen the university’s research capacities and broaden academic cooperation on both domestic and international fronts.
The rector noted that the university’s strategy is complemented by intensified bilateral relations with Spain, Belgium, Russia, China and Brazil. Madera said that joint projects, scientific exchanges and undergraduate and postgraduate training programmes are now taking shape with these partners. Through these collaborations the university expects to broaden its research output and to foster the knowledge transfer of students, faculty and industry professionals.
In addition to the economic objectives, the strategy seeks to advance Cuba’s national priorities in renewable energies, artificial intelligence and sustainable food production. “These partnerships allow us to expand the research and teaching capacities of the University while favoring the transfer of knowledge and experiences in strategic sectors such as renewable energies, artificial intelligence and sustainable food production,” Madera said at the press conference.
Moreover, the university stresses that the project is part of a broader effort to strengthen its articulation with the local government and other economic and social actors throughout the island. The goal is to position the scientific and professional capacities of the academy at the service of local development and offer tangible benefits to the surrounding community.
Madera emphasized that curriculum upgrades and the diversification of academic services are central to the university’s projection. These reforms, he explained, aim to anticipate domestic demand while tapping the opportunities offered by global collaborations.
The initiative has already attracted a range of foreign academic institutions that are keen to leverage the university’s expertise in renewable energies and sustainable agriculture. The international partners appreciate Cuba’s extensive research infrastructure, while the university benefits from the influx of foreign currency and from the long‑term professional exchange with advanced institutions.
According to the executive reports presented by the university, the initial stage of the export programme concentrated on engineering, environmental science, and agriculture. The lessons learned in those first collaborations will inform the planning of future programmes in artificial intelligence and other emerging sciences.
The university also highlighted plans to host a series of multinational conferences, with participation from scholars in several of the partner countries. These events, they say, will impact the global visibility of Cuban‑sourced research and will create a virtuous cycle of attracting additional foreign investment and talent.
While the precise rate of growth for the export programme remains to be seen, Madera underscored that the early results—both financially and academically—are encouraging. The university foresees a gradual scaling of domestic and foreign services, and it is now enticing other Cuban institutions to replicate the model.
With the new direction, the University of Camagüey now positions itself as a key player in the expanding market for educational and research services in Latin America, while continuing to nurture the broader national agenda of scientific excellence and sustainable development.
