Cape Town, 21 May 2026. —During his working visit to Cape Town, the Cuban ambassador, Fakri Rodríguez, visited the University of the Western Cape (UWC), where he held discussions with its rector and vice-chancellor, Professor Robert Balfour.
Organized by the Centre of Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS) of the DSTI-NRF, on behalf of the university, the Cuban ambassador met with deans from the various faculties and academic staff of the institution.
The meeting provided a forum for fruitful dialogue to explore and strengthen academic and scientific cooperation between South African and Cuban universities. Possible areas of collaboration were discussed, including joint research programs, postgraduate training and projects in health sciences and agriculture.
The meeting was attended by Dr Víctor Figueroa, a distinguished professional who has been part of the Cuban medical mission in South Africa for over 30 years. Dr Figueroa highlighted Cuba’s long history of international cooperation in the field of health and expressed the willingness of Cuban institutions to establish training programs technical cooperation initiatives with the UWC and other South African universities.
The Cuban Embassy in South Africa reiterates its commitment to strengthening educational, scientific and academic cooperation between the two countries, based on solidarity, mutual respect and the exchange of experiences that contribute to the well-being of our peoples.
(Cuban Embassy in South Africa)