11 week course in Cuban history at LondonMet - open to all

The Shaping of Modern Cuba is a 11 week university course taught over 11 two hour sessions on Monday afternoons starting on 2 February. The IISC is offering this module to members of the public. The course is led by Professor Jean Stubbs who will have the assistance of IISC staff members, Dr Stephen Wilkinson and Emily Morris as guest lecturers. Full details on the website.

Summer school: Cuban history, culture, economy, health and politics
The IISC is organising a five-day summer school, to take place in one week during ether July or August 2009. (dates tbc). The course will taught by IISC experts at our new offices in Jewry St, London and will cover a different topic each day to give participants a rounded and in-depth introduction to the island. Further details on the website.

Forthcoming public seminars

The Spring 2009 season of public seminars at the IISC starts on 5th February with the launch of the book by Dr Tom Carter: Cuban Baseball and National Identity: A nation of Peloteros.

A wine reception will follow and discounted signed books will be available.
Click on the titles to access further information:

05 Feb. 2009: Cuban Baseball and national identity: A nation of peloteros

19 Feb. 2009: The rise and fall of Cuba's sugar economy

19 Mar. 2009: Slave Resistance on Cuban Plantations, 1790-1850

All seminars start at 6.30pm
Venue:
Henry Thomas Room
London Metropolitan University
166-220 Holloway Road,
London N7 8DB

Entrance to seminars is free but please register your intention to attend by email

Picture: Cover of Tom Carter’s new book on Cuban baseball. Event on 5 Feb 09

Since its inception in 2007 the IISC has held more than 12 public seminars. Each on has been recorded and now DVDs are available to the public to buy. Please see the Past events home page for details on how to obtain them.
Other events

IISC experts Emily Morris and Stephen Wilkinson are participating in two seminars to be held at Cambridge and Oxford Universities in February. details of both can be found on the website.

‘Absolutely fantastic' autumn study tour successes

Participants in the IISC two study tours to Cuba this Autumn returned with glowing reports on their experiences. Pictured is the Discover Cuba group from LondonMet. In addition there was a highly successful Medical Study Tour Full details about both tours and the programme for 2009 can be found on the website.

The Cuba specialist travel firm Old Havana Ltd which trades as San Cristobal UK has signed an agreement with London Metropolitan University to supply discounted travel services to Cuba for the IISC and its clients and associates. The firm is now an Approved supplier for travel to Cuba for staff at LondonMet and staff and students can obtain discounted prices on flights and hotel bookings in Cuba through them. Others travelling to Cuba who wish to take advantage of the service can obtain details of how they may also receive discounts by contacting Stephen Wilkinson at the IISC in the first instance.

There are more than 100 international academic conferences each year in Cuba. Through our travel partners Old Havana Ltd and with the support of our office in Havana, it is possible for you to attend any one of them. We will arrange your flight, hotel, transfers and conference registration in one travel package and you will be able to count on the services of our staff in Havana during your stay. Details of the conferences in Cuba and how to take advantage of this service is on the Conferences in Cuba page on our website.

4th International Workshop on Child Health
Camaguey, Cuba 1-9 March 2009

Travel to the historic city of Camaguey in central Cuba for a three day conference in the company of Professor Imti Choonara, a child health specialist from Nottingham University. You can enjoy free time to visit Havana and options to extend your stay are possible.
Organised by Camaguey Children’s Hospital; Department of Provincial Health, Camaguey; International Institute for the Study of Cuba and University of Nottingham. Full details are on our website.

African Cultures, Religions, and Ethnicities in Cuba

£1,475     7 days: Sunday 28 June- July 5, 2009 with Virgin Atlantic

A unique opportunity to visit Cuba and explore its rich African cultural heritage in the company of a Cuban expert on the history of slavery

This tour has been designed and will be led by Dr Manuel Barcia who is a Lecturer in Latin American Studies in the Department of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies at the University of Leeds.
The arrangements for travel will be made by Old Havana Ltd. Optional extensions will be available for those who wish to stay on.
The tour will go ahead if sufficient interest in shown. If you are interested in participating in this tour please contact Stephen Wilkinson immediately.
 Picture: Lagrimas negras by Cuban Artist Ibrahim Miranda

Peer Reviewers required
Any suitably qualified academic readers interested in acting as peer reviewers for the International Journal of Cuban Studies, are requested to send their cv and declaration of interest to the Assistant Editor on patricia.daniel@cubastudies.org

Readers' blog launched
The Readers' Blog on the Journal site has been launched and is located here
Readers may also send comments to the Assistant Editor Patricia Daniel


Hard copies of journal now available
2 printed versions of the journal are now available to be purchased online:
Colour
Black and White

In the autumn, the IISC is preparing a special one-day conference: Reminiscences of a revolution: British witnesses to the last 50 years in which British people from all walks of life who have had a personal involvement with the Cuban revolution will relate their experiences. Participants invited include academics Jean Stubbs and Brian Pollitt, journalists Hugh O’Shaughnessy and Richard Gott, three former UK Ambassadors to the island and individuals such as Mike Faulkner and Nicola Seyd who were the first members of a UK work brigade to the island in the early 1960s. The idea of the conference is to record the testimonies for publication and future study. If you have had a personal experience of Cuba or documentation that you think might be relevant to this project please write to stephen.wilkinson@cubastudies.org

Emily Morris (pictured centre left), the IISC’s Director of Research, gave a paper on the Cuban economy at the influential Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC on 2 December. On 5 February, IISC Honorary Research Fellow Dr George Lambie will be presenting at another CSIS event on the Cuban military. For full details of each event click on their names.

Cuba health seminar
IISC director Professor Patrick Pietroni is to give a talk at on Cuban health care at Imperial College, London on 17 February. Full details HERE

The IISC can provide bespoke information and reports on all aspects of Cuba and can advise on film or business projects in the island. Contact Stephen Wilkinson or Emily Morris for further information.

The IISC medical electives programme is now established. The first medical students will be travelling out to Cienfuegos in February with large numbers following through to the summer. For more details and how to apply please see the Medical electives section on the website.

In our last newsletter, we wrongly captioned the picture of Revolution Square. The building shown is the HQ of the Armed Forces and not the Communist Party.

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