On June 19 NTUU "KPI" were visited by the Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba in Ukraine Ernesto Antonio Senti Darias. In spite of the fact that it is his first visit to university, the meeting with the management and teachers of KPI and discussion of questions of expansion of cooperation left surprisingly warm and, at the same time, business.
The meeting was attended by the rector of the University of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Mikhail Zgurovsky, the vice rector for the international, the corresponding member of NAN of Ukraine Sergey Sidorenko, the vice rector for teaching and educational work Gennady Varlamov, the dean of faculty of sociology and the right Boris Novikov, the deputy head of department of the international cooperation Evgenia Polischuk and others.
“Today I am here because Ukraine for us one of the priority countries... However, discussing cooperation questions, we should define their concrete directions. It is necessary to formulate very accurately its purposes, and then persistently to work over their achievement”, – Ernesto Antonio Senti Darias emphasized during conversation in KPI. He also reported that in diplomatic mission of Cuba in Ukraine personally deals with the issues connected with adjustment economic, and consequently, and scientific and educational cooperation therefore in the decision they won't be any bureaucratic barriers.
For university cooperation with Cuba – not news. It began in the sixties the last century. Since then and till 1994 as vice rector Sergey Sidorenko reminded present, in KPI an engineering education was got by 173 messengers of the Island of Freedom. Naturally, as now the educational direction is one of the most perspective in respect of renewal of contacts. Actually, preparation in Ukraine new generations of experts is very necessary to Cuba therefore now the country leaders work over the solution of organizational and financial questions of its full-scale revival. Firstst of all it is a question of definition of number of students; directions of their preparation; universities at which they will study; financial conditions of their stay in our country, etc. As the Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba in Ukraine noted, it would be expedient to outline a circle of leading Ukrainian higher education institutions (among them, naturally, and NTUU "KPI") which could accept on training in certain directions of the Cuban students.
Certainly, cooperation has to concern not only training questions. Therefore Las Vilyas in the sphere of energy saving, computer facilities, constructional materials, weldings, prevention of corrosion and protection of metals, telecommunications was a question at a meeting and of the program of cooperation signed in the last decade of the last century with the Central university; about enhancing cooperation in the field of chemistry, biotechnologies and the laser technology, provided by the protocol on cooperation between KPI and faculty of chemistry and pharmaceutics of the same university in 2004; about expansion of scientific cooperation with the Polytechnical institute "José Antonija Echeverria" which principles were formulated in the protocol of 2007 etc. About some scientific and technical development which can be transferred already today for introduction in Cuba, vice rector Gennady Varlamov reported also.
Participants of a meeting spoke about restoration of traditions of direct youth cooperation of students of both countries, both in scientific and educational areas, and in questions of cultural relationship. Especially as work in this direction is already begun is brightly showed some large-scale events held in KPI in recent years: festival of the Cuban cinema "Viva, Cuba! ", International scientific and practical conference "Grateful Ukraine — Noble Cuba", round table "Ukraine-Cuba: dialogue of cultures" and others. The dean of faculty of sociology and the right of NTUU "KPI" Boris Novikov who volunteered and to take further active part in the organization and carrying out joint Ukrainian-Cuban scientific and cultural actions with attraction of student's youth of university was one of their inspirers and direct organizers.
Results of more than one and a half hour communication were brought by rector Mikhail Zgurovsky. Considering importance of expansion of relationship between KPI and the Cuban universities, he stated the offer to define at university of the persons responsible for this direction of work. Organizational its issues will be resolved, as before, by employees of department of the international cooperation, it suggested to be engaged in scientific and technical aspects of cooperation to vice rector Gennady Varlamov, and actions of the humanitarian direction – to professor Boris Novikov.
Translated by Vita Bessonova