The Liaison Office of the University of Havana (UH) was officially opened in Hangzhou today, with the purpose of fostering educational, cultural, and economic collaboration between China and Cuba.
This project, which is based in the newly established Cuban Cultural Center in Hangzhou, is a result of agreements signed between UH and Hangzhou Iunke Cultural & Creative Co., Ltd. in March 2023.
The event was attended by Dionisio Zaldívar Silva, Vice-Rector of the University of Havana; Huang Qiaiming, President of Hangzhou Iunke; Bao, an expert in study abroad planning; representatives from Hangzhou Kanaima Supply Chain Management Co.; and Cuban artist Emilio Wong.
Huang highlighted the significance of this new connection with the Cuban institution of higher learning, one of the oldest and most prestigious in Latin America. He also noted that after the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, China has become a crucial axis of global development. “In this context,” he said, “China’s responsibility is to promote the Belt and Road Initiative.”
He commented on Cuba’s current efforts to modernize its economy and noted the importance of this office as a result of the work of the Investment and Trade Platform for Latin America and the Caribbean (PICLA) team.
For his part, Zaldívar emphasized the significance of this “operational base” for promoting and expanding PICLA’s educational and cultural initiatives in its relationship with the Greater Antilles. He stated that it is essential for universities in Cuba and Latin America to have such a space that will lead to positive outcomes and put into practice President Xi Jinping’s vision of a shared future.
