In a statement the South African higher education and training minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, said the agreement would build on longstanding collaboration over the training of South African medical professionals in Cuba.

“We will now build on the work that is already underway, and actually take it to a higher level which will include lecturer and student exchanges, as well as research collaboration amongst our higher education institutions,” he said.

It is one of a growing number of exchange agreements between countries better known for exporting than attracting international students. Recent examples include Peru and Mexico, which agreed to a visa-free arrangement for students last month, and Israel which today signed an exchange programme with India and China.

Co-author of a Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education (NUFFIC) report on the subject, Rosa Becker, that the trend was likely to accelerate. “You see these regions starting to collaborate to remove barriers to international student and staff mobility, moving towards mutual acceptance of degrees and credits, discussing moves towards joint quality assurance of higher education programmes,” she told the PIE last month.

The Cuba-South Africa partnership also promises collaboration on models of university delivery, teacher training and specialist subjects such as agricultural studies. It will also promote multicultural curricula; Spanish language and Latin American history will be encouraged in South African institutions for example, while Cuban universities will strengthen their African studies departments.

The South African Ministry for Higher Education and Training said the agreement would also boost bilateral ties by improving cultural understanding and economic wellbeing.