DATES:
January 5 - 19, 2013
Application Fee
$100
Program Fee
The Program Fee includes tuition and program expenses. Click on Program Fee for details.
Airfare from Miami to Havana is included in the program fee. Airfare to Miami and personal expenses are not included in the Program Fee and are the responsibility of the participant.
Application Deadline
October 5, 2012
Eligibility
This program is open to all advance undergraduate and graduate students, including students who do not attend George Mason University.
CREDITS:
Undergraduate: 3 semester credits in GLOA 480, GOVT 398, ECON 492, and NCLC 399
Graduate: Seeking approval for 3 credits in GLOA, GOVT
Housing
Hotels
Excursions
Old Havana and Varadero Beach
CONTACT: Sarah Mournighan via email or by calling 703.993.2106 or toll free at 866.468.1243. The toll free number does not accept calls from the 703 or 571 area code.
Downloadable Documents
Syllabus available upon request
Faculty Info
Dr. Lisa Breglia
Study abroad this Winter Break in Havana, Cuba, where the old and the new are woven together. When you enter Old Havana with its colonial architecture and classic American cars, it will be like stepping back in time!
Cathedral of The Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Old Havana
Attend lectures by faculty from the University of Havana, the Center for International Economy Research, and the Centro de Estudios de Economía Cubana. Interact with officials from the Cuban Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of External Trade and Foreign Investment, and ambassadors from Latin American and Caribbean embassies to Havana.
El Capitolio (National Capitol Building)
In addition to learning about changing political and economic conditions in today’s Cuba through classroom lectures, you will get to experience the realities of the Cuban economy first-hand, whether through a site visit to an agricultural cooperative/agribusiness micro-industry project or more informally by eating lunch in a typical “palador,” a family-run restaurant, and talking with the owners. You will visit sites in and around the city of Havana, including the Plaza de la Revolución, the José Martí Memorial, the Museo de Belles Artes, and a Cuban painting studio. At the Port of Mariel, you will learn about the ongoing joint investment project between Cuba and Brazil.
A Visit to a Local Cuban Cigar Business
Your trip to Varadero Beach, a relatively exclusive part of Cuba with beautiful blue water, backgrounds a seminar on the role of tourism in the Cuban economy.
Varadero Beach
TENTATIVE PROGRAM ITINERARY:
Saturday, January 5
Arrive in Havana
Sunday, January 6
Havana City Tour
Monday, January 7
Morning Session
Seminar: “The Economic Transformation Process in Cuba After the VI Cuban Communist Party Congress” Lecturer: Dr. Jorge Mario Sánchez, senior scholar at the Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy (CEEC)
Lunch
Afternoon Session
Visit to an agricultural cooperative/agribusiness micro-industry project in Havana
Tuesday, January 8
Morning Session
Seminar: “Changes in Cuban Families and Society As Part of the Economic Model Transformation” Lecturer: Dra. Patricia Arés, professor at the Psychology School, University of Havana
Lunch: Free
Afternoon Session
Visit to the Community Integral Transformation Project, People’s Council “Principe”, Centro Habana
Wednesday, January 9
Morning Session
Seminar: “General Transformation in Cuba's Economic External Sector: Foreign Trade and External Finance" Lecturer: Dr. Antonio F. Romero, professor at the Center for International Economic Investigation (CIEI)
Lunch
Afternoon Session
Meeting with officials at the Cuban Chamber of Commerce
Thursday, January 10
Morning Session
Seminar: “The Current Cuban Foreign Trade: Obstacles and Perspectives” Lecturer: Dr. Ricardo Sánchez, Deputy Director, Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy (CEEC)
Lunch
Afternoon Session
Visit and lunch at a “Cuban paladar” and enjoy a conversation with the owners
Friday, January 11
Morning Session
Seminar: “Foreign Direct Investments in Cuba: Current Trends and Perspectives” Lecturer: Dr. Omar Everleny Pérez, Director, Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy (CEEC)
Lunch
Afternoon Session
Meeting with officials from the Center to Promote External Trade and Foreign Investments, Ministry of External Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX)
Saturday, January 12
Visit to Varadero Beach, accompanied by Drs. Juan Triana and Jorge Mario Sánchez of the Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy (CEEC) to develop the Seminar: “The Cuban Tourism Industry and Its Economic Relevance”
Sunday, January 13
Visit to “Plaza de la Revolución” and “José Martí” Memorial
Monday, January 14
Morning Session
Seminar: “The Historical Difference between Cuba and the United States: Current Status and Perspectives for Cuba & USA Economic Relations” Lecturer: Dr. Jorge Mario Sánchez, senior scholar at the Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy (CEEC)
Lunch
Afternoon Free
Tuesday, January 15
Morning Session
Seminar: “The Cubans’ Economic Relations with Latin American and Caribbean Nations” Lecturer: Dr. Antonio F. Romero Gómez, professor at the Center for International Economic Investigation (CIEI)
Lunch
Afternoon Session
Meeting with ambassadors from Latin American and Caribbean embassies to Havana
Wednesday, January 16
Morning Session
Visit to the Joint Investment Project between Cuba and Brasil, at the Mariel Port, Havana Province
Night: Visit to a Cuban painting studio
Thursday, January 17
Morning Session
Visit to Bellas Artes Museum
Afternoon Session
Farewell meeting at CIEI - Professors and directives from University of Havana linked to Cuba-USA academic relations will join the party
Saturday, January 19
Departure for Miami
Academic Director
Lisa Breglia is Assistant Director of the Global Affairs Program. She received her Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from Rice University, and her work appears in numerous edited volumes and journals. Her 2006 book, Monumental Ambivalence: the Politics of Heritage (University of Texas Press), examines the struggle over national patrimony between public interests and private sector development in Maya archaeological across the Yucatán Peninsula . Her new book extends her interests in the politics of natural and cultural resources - not only in Mexico but in a global context. Living with Oil (2013, UT Press) is an ethnographic investigation of the effects of Mexico's intensive offshore oil industry on Gulf coast communities. Professor Breglia's latest research is a comparative study of heritage tourism in Mexico and Colombia.
Dates January 5 - 19, 2013
You should plan to arrive in Miami at least one day prior to the program start date to arrive in Havana for the first day of the program. You can schedule your return from Miami for the last day of the program or choose to travel independently.
Do not purchase airfare until you are advised by your Program Officer.
Program Fee: $4,180
The Center for Global Education Program Fee includes:
Tuition
Housing
Airfare from Miami to Havana
Transportation in Cuba
Pre-departure orientation
Emergency medical insurance, including medical evacuation and repatriation
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to George Mason students. George Mason students can click here to download the CGE Global Perspectives scholarship application. Mason students may also use financial aid to cover a program's cost. If you are not a George Mason university student check with your study abroad office or office of financial aid to learn more about how to cover the cost of your study abroad.
How to Apply
Consult the How to Apply section for detailed instructions. Start by completing the online application. Pay the $100 application fee.
Note that all supplemental documents are required by the application deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Contact the Program Officer for further application forms and instructions specific to your program.