The latest ‘Día de Cuba’ tied up with the Latin America Days, an event series which has been traditionally organised by the Chair of Romance Literatures and Cultures for nine years. Students, academics and numerous guests visited this year’s event in the IT Centre building to learn about some of the various country’s fascinating aspects.
'Among Passau’s students, there has always been great interest in spending a semester in Cuba. Moreover, the current transitionary period provides a variety of interesting research topics', said Professor Ursula Reutner, Vice President for International Relations.
In his presentation, Visiting Professor Mario Masvidal Saavedra (Universidad de las Artes, Havana), who is currently teaching at the University of Passau, delivered a lecture on ‘música cubana’. With an historical overview from the pre-Colombian era to contemporary times, Professor Saavedra presented the development of Cuban music and its importance in Cuba’s everyday life.
Professor Burkhard Freitag, Chair of Information Management, talked of his experiences during his research semester in Cuba, which had focussed on a programme documenting spatial objects – such as buildings declared UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites. Moreover, students and alumni of the University of Passau reported on their personal experiences from semesters or internships they completed in the country.
The theme day concluded with an award ceremony for the photo contest. The winners were presented their awards by Vice President Ursula Reutner. More than 40 photos had been submitted, of which Marie-Claire Pfeiffer’s photo titled ‘Puros y Flores’ gained the most votes.