On April 4, the ceremonial opening of the SFedU Branch took place at the University of Havana.

The solemn event was attended by Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, Airat Gatiyatov, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Marina Borovskaya, President of the SFedU, Miriam Nicado Garcia, Rector of the University of Havana, Maxim Bondarev, Vice Rector for International and Project Activities of the SFedU, Natalia Karpovskaya, Rector's Plenipotentiary Representative in the Ibero-American area, Director of the SFedU Institute of Interdisciplinary Education and Ibero-American Studies, as well as representatives of the Russian delegation from the Ministries of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and Cuba.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel have repeatedly stressed the strategic importance of partnership between the two countries.

The Deputy Prime Minister expressed gratitude to everyone who participated in the implementation of this important project, especially noting Marina Borovskaya, President of the Southern Federal University, and Miriam Nicado Garcia, Rector of the University of Havana.

Dmitry Chernyshenko also presented certificates for the purchase of computer equipment to students and scientists, wishing them success in their work and studies.

During the ceremonial opening of the SFedU Branch in Havana, a ceremony was held to present the mantle and diploma of Honorary Doctor of the Southern Federal University to the Rector of the University of Havana, Miriam Nicado Garcia.

 Dmitry Chernyshenko congratulated her, noting her outstanding achievements and contribution to the development of the university.

Also, in the presence of Dmitry Chernyshenko, an agreement was signed between the University of Havana and the Southern Federal University on the gratuitous use of the premises of the branch building for the educational process.

SFedU President Marina Borovskaya expressed confidence that the opening of a SFedU branch at the University of Havana would bring university cooperation to a new level.

The Rector of the University of Havana thanked Marina Borovskaya for the honor and noted the special partnership with SFedU.

According to her, the University of Havana is ready to provide all possible assistance to the new Branch of SFedU, and the implementation of joint projects will bring education and science in Cuba to a new level.

The SFedU branch is located in Havana in the University of Havana building at the address: 5th Avenue and 64 Street, 6401, Miramar. Training at the SFedU Branch in Cuba will begin in September 2025, the year of the SFedU's 110th anniversary. At the first stage, the Branch will operate as a preparatory faculty with additional professional education programs in Russian (profiles: humanities, engineering, natural sciences) and will prepare Cuban citizens for admission to Russian universities. The Branch will also implement additional general development programs (courses in Russian as a foreign language; programs in various fields of study at the request of the Cuban side) and additional professional training programs. In the future, the Branch will introduce higher education programs.

In addition, from April 1 to April 4, several landmark events were held in Havana with the participation of the Southern Federal University, aimed at expanding cooperation in the field of higher education and science. The representatives of the Southern Federal University in Cuba had a big eventful program planned.

Thus, on April 1, a meeting of the Russian-Cuban Working Group on cooperation in the field of Science, technology and the Environment was held, where SFedU presented research initiatives developed jointly with universities of the Republic of Cuba.

On April 2, a meeting of the Russian-Cuban Working Group on Education was held, where, together with Cuban colleagues, tasks and concrete steps were discussed to build and improve reliable and long-term ties.

On April 3, at the University of Technology of Havana. Jose Antonio Echeverria CUJAE hosted the grand opening of the mirror Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence in technical systems between SFedU and CUJAE, which was attended by Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Airat Gatiyatov, Deputy Minister of Higher Education of the Republic of Cuba Reinaldo Velasquez Saldivar, President of SFedU Marina Borovskaya, Vice Rector for International and Project Activities Maxim Bondarev, Authorized Representative of the Rector in the countries of the Ibero-American area, Director of the Institute of Interdisciplinary Education and Ibero-American Studies Natalia Karpovskaya, Gennady Veselov, Director of the SFedU 

Institute of Computer Technologies and Information Security, as well as representatives of the Russian delegation from the Ministries of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and Cuba.