MCPHS Press Releases

Press Releases

MCPHS officials pose at the main entrance to the University of Havana with Dr. Rene Tejedor Arias, Vice Dean of the School of Pharmacy

President Monahan with Dr. Juan Vela Valdez, Cuban Minister of Higher Education and former Rector of the University of Havana

President Monahan with Dr. Ruben Zardoya Loureda, current Rector of the University

Dr. Rosa Rankin Rodriguez conducts a tour of Cuba's famous National Botanical Garden

President Monahan at the 280th Anniversary Ceremony

MCPHS officials were greeted by Josefina Vidal Ferreiro of the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs

MCPHS Delegation Visits University of Havana

On February 13, President Charles F. Monahan Jr. returned from a successful visit to Cuba, where he and other MCPHS representatives consulted with officials regarding the College’s collaboration with the University of Havana. Accompanying the President were Dr. Michelle Kalis, Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost, Dr. George Humphrey, Vice President for College Relations, and Alejandro Pino, Instructor in Pharmacology. The delegation discussed study abroad programs on the Cuban health care system and research opportunities in alternative medicine and natural products.

During the visit, President Monahan was one of twelve university presidents from around the world to speak at a special convocation celebrating the 280th anniversary of the University of Havana, which was founded in 1728 by Spanish missionaries.

“When I first visited Cuba eight years ago, I thought it was important for colleges in the United States to forge partnerships with their Cuban and Latin American counterparts,’ he told the audience of 1,500 academics assembled at Havana’s Convention Palace. “Today I am even more convinced that international collaboration is the best way to ensure the future success of pharmacy and the health professions.”

MCPHS is one of the few universities in the United States to have a license from the U.S. Treasury Department to conduct educational programs in Cuba. MCPHS has also established collaboration agreements with universities in Peru, China and Saudi Arabia to foster a better understanding of health education, health care systems and complementary/alternative health practices throughout the world.

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