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LACS Grad Students Travel to Cuba for International Education Course

Learn More about Abigail and Sarah's Trip Here

LACS Grad Students Travel to Cuba for International Education Course

Learn more about Abigail Smith and Sarah Kistner’s recent trip to Cuba as part of their coursework in International Education Policy.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Abigail: My name is Abigail Smith (she/her), I am an international student from Kingston, Jamaica studying International Education Policy as a Phd student. I currently work in the Global learning initiatives office as a graduate assistant. I became interested in the LACS certificate to connect with more graduate students on campus and to also deepen my knowledge of the region to enhance my studies. 

Sarah: My name is Sarah Kistner, and I’m a first-year PhD student in International Education Policy. I also work at the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center here at UMD, where I support student success initiatives. I became interested in the Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) certificate because of my longstanding passion for international education and my experiences working in the region over the years. I’ve always been drawn to understanding how history, politics, and culture shape education systems across the region and how we can learn from one another. 

You just went to Cuba for a class. Can you tell us about the class and the purpose of this trip?

Abigail: Yes, so lucky for me this is my 3rd time going to Cuba, my first trips were in 2018. This trip specifically is led by Dr. Taylor Woodman and has been in an ongoing partnership over 10 years with the Cuban Pedagogues Association (APC) . The class is EDHI788X/798: International Investigations in Cuban Education: An International Fieldwork Practicum. Though Cuba is stones throw away from Jamaica, we did not learn much about their education system and developments. As a research interest of mine is South-South cooperation within higher education, I wanted to learn more about Cuba’s approach to the internationalization of higher education as they have been at the forefront of educating other Caribbean nationals since the 60s. 

Sarah: The purpose of the trip was to gain skills in research through a fieldwork practicum and engage directly with Cuban educators, students, and community organizations. It was an immersive experience designed to challenge our assumptions and provide a more nuanced view of Cuban society. My goal was to learn more about how play is incorporated into their educational system and how it may shape their values as a society. 

[Read the rest of the interview here.]