Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has a vested interest in the current discussion of normalizing U.S. relations with Cuba. According to Larry LaFond, associate dean of the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences, SIUE is one of only a few universities with a connection to Cuba, due in large part to the University’s Cuban & Caribbean Center.
The center, established in 2009, coordinates interdisciplinary studies, visits to Cuba and interactions between SIUE and the University of Havana.
In a Belleville News Democratstory posted Wednesday, writer Elizabeth Donald expanded on this relationship.