Broad International Participation at University 2026 in Cuba

XV International Higher Education Congress to Welcome 500 International Delegates
Approximately 500 international delegates from 42 countries will attend the XV International Congress of Higher Education, University 2026, scheduled for Havana from February 9 to 13.

The event, held in a hybrid format (in-person and virtual) at the Havana Convention Center, will also bring together a thousand national participants to discuss innovation and social transformation toward higher education for sustainable and inclusive development.

Congress Coincides with Fidel Castro Centenary Celebrations
This edition coincides with celebrations for the centenary of the historical leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro, the architect of the transformations that allowed Cuba to achieve high levels of educational development. Therefore, his legacy will be a transversal theme of the meeting.

According to the Deputy Minister of Higher Education (MES), Reynaldo Velázquez, the academic gathering will commemorate the creation of this ministry half a century ago and the establishment of its university network.

Key Themes and Symposiums
Topics such as the role of higher education in the development of Artificial Intelligence, food production, energy transition, science, and innovation will also be debated in six symposia and 26 workshops, featuring prominent personalities from Latin America and other regions.

First Meeting of Cuban University Graduates
Within the context of the meeting, the First Encounter of Graduates from Cuban Universities will take place, with representation from the more than 84,000 foreigners who have graduated from higher education institutions in this Caribbean nation.

High-Level Attendance Confirmed
María Victoria Villavicencio, Director of International Relations at MES, detailed in a press conference that University 2026 will be attended by 16 ministers and deputy ministers of higher education and 19 secretaries of university associations and rectors.

The attendance of 22 officials from international organizations and networks of which Cuba is a part has also been confirmed, along with delegations from countries across several continents and national authorities, underscoring the relevance of these gatherings.

A Forum for Reflective Dialogue
The International Congress of Higher Education, or Congress Universidad, aims to foster reflective, profound, and open dialogue among higher education stakeholders and the societies in which they operate, to evaluate the best solutions to the pressing problems present in the realities of the participating countries.