Cuba is one of the key partner countries of VLIR-UOS. From 2003 to 2021 VLIR-UOS spent over € 26,1 millions in cooperation with Cuba, including a long-term Institutional University Cooperation (IUC) Programme with Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de las Villas (UCLV). The ongoing IUC programme with the Universidad de Oriente (UO) and the Network programme led by UCLV are the cornerstones of the VLIR-UOS cooperation with Cuba, next to 20 projects that have started since 2017.

Cuba is also one of our 29 scholarship countries.

Ongoing projects

Institutional University Cooperation

IUC 2019 Phase 2 UO

TEAM projects

Vibration-based assessment of civil engineering structures (VIBRAS) Implementation of personalized medicine and pharmaco(epi)genetic biomarkers for improvement of lung cancer treatment A Cuban National School of Neurotechnology for Cognitive Aging Eco-friendly multidisciplinary approaches for controlling and harnessing Marabú (Dichrostachys cinerea) in central eastern Cuba Renewable energy and bioclimatic architecture improving sustainability and development in ecotouristic settlement: Las Terrazas. Gait Assessment Lab, an Engineering approach (GALEN) Installing a center of excellence in the Central-Eastern region of Cuba to enhance production and research on bioactive plants In vitro Plant biotechnology to increase food security in eastern Cuba Improvement of shrimp culture using transgenerational conditioning in Cuba Improving the Synthetic Chemistry Expertise of the Cuban Academic Sector to Support the Development of ... Capacity building of a compound screening facility for Cuban-developed bioactive compounds targeting cell death and inflammation Control of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria of animal origin in Cuba in order to improve animal and human health Improving Cow Milk Production Potential by Introducing a Herd Health Management Program on Camagüey’s Dairy Farms in Cuba

JOINT

A Cuban-Flemish Training and Research Program in Data Science and Big Data Analysis Quality control and monitoring of scientific research output on national and institutional level Strengthening Research Practice in Biopharmaceutical In Silico Modelling through Scientific Computing

South Initiatives

AIR@PORT: Low-cost decision support system to evaluate the impact of ships on the air quality in the port city Cienfuegos TIME-LABS: Cuba Photography Missions Knowledge transfer of new techniques for defining factors influencing Dengue/Zika infection evolution in Cuba Play! for food: Improving food production and social welfare in the province of Camagüey

Network University Cooperation

Networks 2019 Phase 2 Cuba ICT

Cuba and Agenda 2030 - country reference framework

VLIR-UOS revised its country approach towards an ‘Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development’ centered approach, where country reference frameworks (CRF) are worked out. The CRF document supports teams of academics when identifying and formulating project proposals, by providing a context analysis focused on Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development and the higher education sector in a given country, and by providing an overview of Belgian development actors, their ongoing projects and partners in that country in view of exploration of opportunities for synergy and complementarity. On the other hand Belgian HE and Science actors joined in a thematic Joint Strategic Framework (JSF) on HES4SD, all strongly represented in Cuba.

VLIR-UOS cooperation in Cuba has always been strongly aligned with the Cuban national priorities such as in the past increased attention to the development of Eastern (’Oriente’) Cuba, ICT for development, food security, environmental sustainability and quality of life (public and preventive health). In the context of international cooperation, Cuban higher education also prioritises strengthening of processes of internationalisation, institutional and human capacity building, doctoral programmes and research and innovation.