Cuban Universities are Ready for New School Year

Havana, Cuba, Aug 30.- All universities under the Cuban Higher Education Ministry will open doors September 3 with the largest number of courses offered to students ever, despite shortages facing the sector.

In a press conference on Thursday, Higher Education minister Rodolfo Alarcon said that the total quota of universities courses was completed, with the particularity of being a larger percent if compared to previous school years, when applicants did not have to go through entrance exams.

University specialties in Cuba are centrally offered in different quotas for students to apply for those in their preference and according to their academic records, through entrance exams.

Surprisingly, 75 percent of all quotas offered to study agronomy were completed, which stands for 25 percent higher than the previous year, said the minister.

The new school year at Cuban universities will count on 12 thousand full-time professors, 20 percent of whom have a doctor’s degree and 35 percent have a masters’ degree, said the official and added that over 10 thousand part-time professors will support the teaching process.

The 2012-2013 school year counts on the most important human and material resources guaranteeing high-quality and comprehensive instruction of the students, despite infrastructure limitations in the sector, described by the minister as objective and visible. (Radio Cadena Agramonte)