Graduate Student/Professional Delegation to Cuba
Professionals Abroad, in consultation with the American Public Health Association, is organizing a research delegation to Cuba for graduate students working towards an advanced degree in public health. We are pleased to invite you to join the delegation to research Cuba’s healthcare system.
There will be 2 separate delegations organized to convene in Miami, Florida at which time the group will depart for Cuba. You may choose from the following dates: December 4-9 or December 12-17, 2011. The program requirements, schedule and a list of preliminary meetings/ visits can be viewed at www.professionalsabroad.org. The specific meetings and topics for discussion will be determined based on the composition and research interests of the teams.
The estimated cost per delegation member is $3,450 U.S.D. This cost includes round-trip international air arrangements from Miami to Havana, group transportation, meetings, accommodations in double- occupancy rooms, most meals, and essentially all other costs associated with participation, as outlined in the schedule of activities on the website of Professionals Abroad.
Travel to Cuba is restricted by the Office of Foreign Assets Control
(OFAC) of the United States Treasury Department. Each member of the delegation must be in compliance with the General License issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control authorizing graduate students to conduct a full-time schedule of research activities in Cuba with the likelihood that this research will be publicly disseminated. To qualify, graduate students must complete an application, accompanied by a signed letter on official letterhead from a designated representative of the individual’s University. The letter must
confirm: a) the individual’s enrollment in a graduate-level program; and b) he/she will receive educational credit for the research completed. While the travel itinerary will be designed with a focus on graduate students, full-time working professionals in the field of public health are also welcome to join. Please contact Professionals Abroad for questions regarding eligibility.
Based in Washington, D.C., Professionals Abroad is a division of Academic Travel Abroad, a 60-year-old organization that handles the logistical arrangements for prestigious organizations, such as National Geographic, The Smithsonian, The American Museum of Natural History and many top universities. Academic Travel Abroad is licensed by the OFAC as a Travel Services Provider for US travel to Cuba.
Due to the extensive planning and communication involved in coordinating a program of this nature, we ask that you respond with your intentions regarding this invitation as soon as possible. For questions or to RSVP, we encourage you to contact our program representatives at Professionals Abroad at 1-877-298-9677. You may review the itinerary, background on the delegation leader, and recommend a colleague to be invited at www.professionalsabroad.org.
For general questions, you may also contact Vina HuLamm, the APHA staff liaison for this program, via email: vina.hulamm@apha.org.
We are pleased to offer this exciting opportunity and hope that you will strongly consider participating in this delegation to Cuba. We look forward to hearing from you!
