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April 2015
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UWI’s Faculty of Humanities and Education (FHE) was well represented by a delegation of six lecturers and instructors of the Departments of History and of Modern Languages and Linguistics at the 24th Annual Havana International Book Fair that took place from the 12th to 22nd February, 2015. The 2015 Havana International Book Fair had over 300,000 attendees and nearly 1,500 exhibitors and presenters, the largest in the Caribbean. Each year the fair is dedicated to a nation. This year’s honoree was India, showcasing Cuban editions of Indian authors and sacred Hindu texts. The historic 18th century Spanish colonial fortress complex San Carlos de la Cabaña, laid out among cobble-stoned streets and massive coquina walls, served as the main exhibition centre with other official sites spread throughout the seaside capital. Drs Claudius Fergus (Head, History), Rita Pemberton (History, Retired), Armando García de la Torre (History), Nicole Roberts (Head, Modern Languages and Linguistics), Mr Diego Mederos (Instructor, Spanish) and Ms Paola Palma (Instructor, Spanish) engaged in presentations and discussions throughout the Book Fair. Dr García organised and chaired the first panel from the St Augustine Campus to present at the prominent Havana event. Cosponsored by the Embassy of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in Cuba, the panel session, entitled “The Caribbean: Perspectives from Trinidad and Tobago”, featured presentations by Drs Fergus, Pemberton and Roberts. Held at the Centro de Estudios Martianos (Centre for Martí Studies), the panel brought together perspectives on “Pan-Caribbeanism”. The panel was favourably received by a large audience of Cuban scholars, journalists, secondary and tertiary students, and the general public. Following the panel session, Dr Jennifer Jones-Kernahan, the Ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago, hosted a reception in honour of the UWI scholars. Both Cubans and Trinbagonians enjoyed an evening of Trini culture in Cuba amidst sounds of steelpan and short films of life in the twin-island republic. Dignitaries of the Cuban Diplomatic Corps the Ministries of Foreign Relations and Tertiary Education, along with other top scholars from the University of Havana were in attendance. Throughout the week, the FHE lecturers visited and held meetings at Cuban institutions such as the UNEAC (National Union of Cuban Authors and Artists), the Casa de Las Américas (Institute for the Study of the Americas), at the Headquarters of the Cuban National Programme for Martí Studies and the Foundation Antonio Núñez Jimenez (Institute for the Study of the Environment and Indigenous Cultures) among others. The panel presentation by UWI FHE scholars and the visits and meetings throughout the week of the Book Fair proved to be a resounding success, opening new roads for future collaborations and exchanges between The UWI, St Augustine Campus and leading institutions in Cuba. |
