Universities from Rome, Naples and Milan attended the 8th international higher education conference, “”Universidad 2012″, on sustainable development. The aim of the conference was to underscore the role and responsibilities of the higher education sector with respect to today’s society. The delegation from Rome’s “La Sapienza” University entered into agreements with the Universities of Havana, Pinar del Rio and Santiago on matters including health, economics, psychology, architecture and literature. Also present at the Conference in Havana were delegations from Milano-Bicocca University, the University of Naples and the “Luiss Guido Carli” University in Rome.
Italian-Cuban cultural collaboration was also the focus of the mission to Havana by Prof. Alessandro Masi, Secretary General of the Dante Alighieri Society, which promotes the Italian language and culture. Masi gave a lecture at the University of Havana and had meetings at the Cuban Institute for Cooperation and Friendship Amongst Peoples, the Associazione dei discendenti di italiano and the Comunità di Sant’Egidio. His meeting with Historiador Eusebio Leal, chairperson of the Dante Alighieri Institute’s Cuban Committee, was also of great interest and an opportunity to discuss further collaboration in the cultural field.
Italy was also present at the International Book Fair for 2012, which focused on Caribbean culture. With nearly all of the countries of Latin America and Europe represented, the event attracted large numbers of visitors. During the initiative, the Italian Embassy and the ARCI Association presented the Spanish edition of “Con gran amor” by Alba De Cespedes, grand-daughter of Cuba’s first “president in arms”.
