Tuesday, February 12, 2008

 Considering Brown University's already liberal reputation, those on the other side of the political spectrum will likely have fun with this, yet the chance to study in a foreign country remains a potentially valuable experience.

From the Brown Daily Herald:

Though the average American can't travel to Cuba, 10 Brown students will have the opportunity to spend next semester in Havana studying with 10 Cuban students at the Casa de Las Americas, taught entirely by Cuban professors.

"This is the perfect opportunity to look at the past, present and future of Cuba while sitting next to Cuban nationals," said Kendall Brostuen, director of international programs and associate dean of the College. Brostuen began working with the Center for Latin American Studies a year and a half ago on this program, which may be an option for Spanish-speaking students every fall semester. The program- which will charge Brown's tuition plus $1,000 for room and board - has already generated a lot of student interest, and Brosten said he expects it to be competitive.

Brown has a license from the Department of the Treasury authorizing semester programs in Cuba for its students, Brostuen said, meaning students can travel only by going through Brown's program. There were once more University programs that allowed students to travel and study in Cuba, Brosuten said, but the Treasury tightened the restrictions on Cuban study abroad programs in 2004. Many schools could not maintain their programs due to these changes, and now only a handful of schools, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Harvard and Sarah Lawrence College have programs for students in Cuba, Brostuen said.

Brostuen said the University adheres "scrupulously" to the restrictions, informing the Treasury when faculty or graduate students travel to the country. Adrian Lopez-Denis, a postdoctoral fellow in international humanities who was born in Cuba and came to the United States in 2000, said Cuban study abroad programs flourished during the Clinton administration but became harder and harder to maintain during the Bush administration.