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At the working session, VNU President Le Quan warmly welcomed Vice Minister Reynaldo Velázquez Zaldívar and the Cuban delegation to VNU on their working trip to Vietnam. He treasured the traditional friendship and effective cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba in general, and between the higher education institutions of the two countries in particular. VNU President Le Quan highly appreciated the role of the visit in further promoting cooperation among the two nations’ universities.
In 2024, VNU and the University of Havana, the oldest and largest university in Cuba, signed a cooperation agreement and agreed to implement regular exchange programs for students, scholars, and senior leaders. Sharing about his recent visit to Cuba, VNU President Le Quan noted that the agreed-upon initiatives are currently being effectively implemented.
During the session, VNU President proposed several strategic cooperation directions to expand and deepen the partnership between VNU and Cuban universities. He suggested that the two sides initiate a joint research project on epidemic prevention - an area of concern for many countries. This project is expected to leverage VNU’s strengths in science, technology, and medicine, while also making effective use of Cuba’s notable achievements in healthcare, especially in the field of vaccines.
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In addition, VNU expressed its desire to collaborate with Cuban universities in conducting research, providing policy advice, and implementing development models for clean energy and high-tech agriculture. Recent field surveys have revealed Cuba’s significant potential in developing solar power and biomass energy from plantation forests. These are the areas in which VNU possesses strong capabilities with numerous specialized research groups.
VNU President Le Quan also proposed a cooperation initiative focused on economic policy innovation, emphasizing the creation of mechanisms to connect major Vietnamese and Cuban economic corporations. This is regarded as one of VNU’s strengths in policy development consultancy, opening up opportunities to establish an effective connection between the university and business sector in the two countries.
VNU President Le Quan expressed his hope to welcome Cuban doctors and medical professors to VNU affiliated hospitals to provide medical services. This initiative would not only support clinical practice but also enhance professional capacity and academic exchange between the two nations.
Vice Minister Reynaldo Velázquez Zaldívar highly appreciated VNU's cooperation initiatives, stating that they align well with Cuba's strategic priorities for the development of higher education and research. The Cuban Ministry of Higher Education committed to facilitating connections between VNU and prominent Cuban institutions, such as the University of Technology of Havana, the University of Agricultural Sciences of Havana, and the University of Medical Sciences of Havana, to implement these proposals.
Notably, the Cuban side extended a formal invitation to VNU to participate in Universidad 2026, the largest higher education congress in Latin America, scheduled to be held in Cuba. This event will serve as an important platform for deeper dialogue and signing concrete cooperation agreements.
In response to the invitation, VNU also invited representatives from the Ministry of Higher Education of Cuba to attend the International Conference on Vietnamese Studies in October 2025 - an academic forum that gathers numerous international scholars and experts to discuss Vietnam's development issues in the context of globalization.
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