The institutions in question are the Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, a private university in Japan specialising in eight languages, and the University of Havana, Cuba’s oldest university and one of the first to be founded in the Americas.

The academic collaboration agreement was signed on October 16 by the chairman of KUFS’ board of governors, Yoshikazu Morita, and the Rector of the UH, Dr Gustavo Cobreiro.

The agreement provides the foundations for academic exchanges between professors, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students.

It will also allow members of the institutions’ respective faculties to share experiences in the teaching of Japanese and Spanish, and will pave the way for other academic research and training initiatives in areas of study beyond languages.

Cobreiro went on to hold additional meetings with members of the KUFS governing body, as well as with academics and researchers working within the university’s Institute of Latin American Studies.

Also present at the event was Cuba’s Ambassador to Japan, Carlos Miguel Pereira Hernández. In a statement published online, Pereira emphasised that this agreement was “only a first step” and should be complemented in the immediate future with other actions designed to “deepen bilateral cooperation in the teaching of Japanese and Spanish”.

He also underscored the importance of creating departments for Cuban and Japanese studies in these institutions to help “foster friendship and mutual understanding” between the countries.