Chemistry for Everyone
Becoming a Chemist in Cuba Hessy L. Taft Department of Chemistry, St. John’s University, Jamaica, NY 11439;
[email protected] Education in Cuba is a national priority. In 1961, the government launched a campaign to raise the level of literacy in Cuba. Schools throughout the country were closed for eight months and 268,400 individuals, of whom only 34,000 were teachers, were recruited to go to inner cities, rural towns, and villages in the provinces to teach reading. The literacy rate increased from 74% to 96%. Overall, the population today is skilled, educated, and motivated to utilize all available resources. In October 2000, as part of a science teachers’ delegation and again in April 2001, as part of the American Chemical Society’s delegation to the 4th International Congress in Chemistry, the author traveled to Cuba and had the opportunity to visit schools and institutions of higher learning as well as to conduct interviews with students, science teachers, and faculty in chemistry and chemical engineering. An overview of the process to become a chemist, chemical engineer, or chemistry teacher in Cuba is reported. Background: School Organization Children aged six months to five years may attend day care centers, which are open 12 hours per day to accommodate parents’ working schedules. Primary schools include grades 1–6; natural science, history, and civics are included in grades 5 and 6 only. Students in grades 7–9 attend secondary schools (similar to middle schools in the United States). Education is compulsory through the 9th grade. Social promotions are not permitted after grade 4. If students fail to pass a grade, they can go to summer school or repeat a grade. In large cities such as Havana, secondary schools operate in two shifts owing to limited facilities. Students attend classes for five hours. Two hours of athletics follow the lunch hour for the morning shift or precede the lunch hour for the afternoon shift. Certain secondary schools are geared to preparation for higher learning, while others emphasize instilling a work ethic and performing service for the country. (As an example of the latter, rural students are recruited as seasonal laborers in the citrus industry.) There are also secondary schools that offer special areas of emphasis such as sports, arts, gifted and talented, or special needs programs. The school for the Cuban national ballet, Ballet Nacional Alicia Alonso, is an example of this type of school. If students choose to continue their education in grades 10–12, they attend one of 600 technical schools that prepare students as skilled workers or attend the pre-university course of study that provides the venue for higher education. Becoming a chemist, chemistry teacher, or chemical engineer requires this route. University Admissions Cuba currently has 47 institutions of higher learning, including universities and special institutes. Over 600,000 people in a population of 11 million people have a univer-
sity or higher institute degree. Cuba has a national curriculum; that is, coursework throughout the country covers the same material. Examinations for university admissions are centrally prepared but are graded locally. Students seeking university admission are required to take several examinations in a variety of subjects and the results of these examinations together with school grades are the criteria for admission. Students apply for admission to a specific department of their choice. The number of students admitted to each department is regulated by a government five-year plan projecting the country’s needs in each discipline. For this reason, students are urged to list up to five career choices on their applications when seeking admission to an institution of higher learning. Thus, for example, a student rejected from the chemistry department may seek a career in biology, pharmacology, or physics. Admission to a university outside the student’s residence province in order to pursue a career of first choice is generally not feasible since such spots are reserved for local residents. Universidad de La Habana The University of Havana, which has a long tradition of excellence, has about 8,000 students in the natural sciences. Approximately 40–50 undergraduate students in chemistry are admitted each year. (For comparison, about 60 students are admitted in microbiology, reflecting a concerted effort to build up the pharmaceutical and medication industry.) The entire program of study for chemistry students is prescribed and consists of 54 semester courses to be completed in five years. The required courses in chemistry are: general chemistry, inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, chemical technology, and chemical research methods. In addition, students are required to complete the following courses in other disciplines: analytic geometry, calculus (one semester), linear algebra, physics, computation, statistics, experimental design, philosophy (didactic materialism, political economy, and issues in science and technology), English, preparation for defense, and physical education. Finally, a written thesis, which must be defended orally, is required. Because Cuba has a national curriculum, this program of study is identical at all universities in Cuba. Laboratory time is variable and limited owing to lack of reagents and equipment. Therefore, universities rely on industry to provide students with practical laboratory experience in completing some of the courses listed above. Beginning with the third year, students work as apprentices in industry, a practice that exposes students to instrumentation not available in the university and supplies industry with a much needed labor force. Because university tuition and textbooks are free, students are not eligible for compensation while working as apprentices. Upon graduation, students receive a License in Chemistry degree, similar to that offered in many European programs.
JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 80 No. 8 August 2003 • Journal of Chemical Education
889
Chemistry for Everyone
The chemistry department at the University of Havana acts as a service organization to other departments where chemistry faculty teach chemistry courses tailored specifically for students in material science, microbiology, pharmacy, and others. Undergraduate chemistry students do not have access to the Internet. Upper-level graduate students typically have some Internet access. The students interviewed were cognizant of the enormous privilege they had to attend the university. Some especially valued being the first member of the family to attend a university; others expressed anxiety that the knowledge they were acquiring would perpetually be outdated. As a result of financial constraints, the main library on campus has a meager collection of books and journals with many volumes out of date. Russian texts were evident. Current foreign journal subscriptions were not available although some donations were reported. Cuban journals, such as Mathematical Sciences and Operations Research are published several times a year as funds permit. Instituto Superior de Pedagogia The Higher Pedagogy Institute in Havana is one of 17 such institutes in Cuba dedicated to the education and preparation of teachers. The undergraduate program is a five-year, full-time course of study that includes core courses in pedagogy, psychology, and discipline-specific courses in an academic subject. It culminates in a license to teach in primary or secondary schools. As in the university, students work as student-teachers beginning in the third year, thereby alleviating the teacher shortage and providing students with practical experience. Student-teachers are fully in charge of classrooms, but senior teachers provide mentoring support. Graduate study in teacher education is provided by the University of Havana. Admission to the master’s program in chemistry education requires a License in Chemistry or Chemical Education degree and a reading knowledge of either English, French, German, or Russian. If the license is in a field other than chemistry or chemical education, three years of experience teaching at the upper-school level is required. (This stipulation suggests the practice of teaching in a field other than that of the teacher’s area of specialization, a practice necessitated by the avowed teacher shortage.) Graduation requirements for a master’s degree in chemical education include an approximately equal number of credits in chemistry and in pedagogy, plus almost twice as many credits in research, and a thesis that must address a topic in education and must be defended before an academic committee. Graduates are qualified to conduct science education research and teach graduate education. Instituto Superior Politecnico “Jose Antonio Echeverria” (JAE) The Higher Polytechnic Institute JAE was established in 1964, acquiring all engineering study from the University of Havana. The Institute models itself after Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): its rigorous course requirements for each engineering field parallel those of MIT. JAE has 5,000 students and 92 faculty. All engineering students except those in computer science take chemistry. The pro-
890
gram leading to an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering is a five-year program that can be completed in two alternate ways: (1) students from the pre-university course of study attend the Institute full time and work in industry as apprentices beginning in the third year with no compensation, or (2) workers in industry attend classes at the Institute two full days per a 15-day cycle in a special Friday–Saturday program. Currently there are 300 students in the former program and 250 students in the latter program. There are about 14–15 computers for use by the faculty in addition to some computers for the administrative staff. About 25 computers are available for students, who need faculty approval for Internet access. Admission for graduate study in chemical engineering at the Higher Polytechnic Institute JAE requires two years of experience in the field in addition to the undergraduate degree. Currently there are 320 master’s and doctoral students. A Ph.D. is not required for a University or an Institute academic position but it is preferred. (Indeed students are recruited for academic careers upon completion of an undergraduate degree.) The Ph.D. program in chemical engineering is research-based and, in 2001, included 10 faculty and 11 industry candidates. In 2001, 35% of the faculty at the Higher Polytechnic Institute had Ph.D. degrees. The goal is to have 50% of the faculty with Ph.D. degrees by 2004. A fair number of faculty both at JAE and at other Cuban universities and institutes have Ph.D. degrees granted from universities and institutes in the former Soviet Union. During the period of Cuba’s close ties to the Soviet Union, it was common for Cuban students to engage in extended study at universities in the Soviet Union. Faculty with whom we visited at the Higher Polytechnic Institute JAE are actively engaged in research activities, were eager to discuss their research projects, and willingly showed us their laboratories. We saw projects related to the sugar industry, energy conservation, and agrarian productivity. The Higher Polytechnic Institute JAE is proud of its outstanding reputation as a center of excellence. It has some funding for scholarships for foreign students and has a limited number of students from other provinces in Cuba. JAE competes with the University of Havana for the claim of the premier academic institution in Cuba. Placement of Graduating Students in Career Positions Prior to graduation, students are rank ordered by their university or institute for job applications. The universities and institutes offer their top students positions as teaching assistants for academic careers. Positions at other universities are not available since each institution fills potential jobs from within. Industry fills positions by selecting students from the top of the rank order. Students ranked near the top of the list generally have some choice for positions but this is usually not the case for students further down on the rank-ordered list. Students may also apply for jobs individually but there is no infrastructure in place to assist them other than the process cited. Teachers usually obtain jobs within their province. Chemists and chemical engineers are employed in the sugar and rum industry, food processing, energy conservation, pharmaceuticals, agrarian productivity, and biotechnology.
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 80 No. 8 August 2003 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
Chemistry for Everyone
In the academic sphere, postgraduate work abroad is encouraged. The researcher maintains his or her Cuban job and salary plus a daily living stipend offered by the host institution. Approximately 75% of any additional salary or honorarium is retained by the Cuban government and reinvested in the researcher’s Cuban university or institute for improvements such as books, equipment, and other necessities. The contact with foreign chemists is valued not only for the direct benefit of promoting the researcher’s work but also for the expertise it brings in educating future students at the Cuban university or institute. Conclusion Cuba has a national curriculum that ensures educational standards are uniformly applied. As such, change at the local level is not encouraged but must await approval from national boards. However, once change is approved, it can be implemented quickly throughout the country. There is little mobility among Cuban students, teachers, or faculty, although numerous conferences keep professional staff in frequent contact. Financial constraints have placed considerable limitations on libraries, particularly for foreign publications. Increasing access to the Web for students, teachers, and faculty could alleviate the problem, but this venue requires considerable investment in hardware, electric power supply, and telephone lines. Nevertheless, Cuban ingenuity and dedication to work for the common good has accomplished enormous educational strides in the midst of real hardship.
Acknowledgments Profound thanks are extended to the following whose knowledge and insights provided valuable contributions to this article: Lourdes Zumalacarregui de Cardenas (Dean, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior Politecnico “Jose Antonio Echeverria”, Havana); Enrique Bergantinos Rodriguez (Chair, Department of Chemistry, Instituto Superior Politecnico “Jose Antonio Echeverria”, Havana); Leslie Yanez Gonzalez (Dean, Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad de La Habana, Havana); Marta Zayas Ruiz (Professor of Chemistry, Universidad de La Habana, Havana); Teresita Noriega (Professor of Mathematics, Universidad de La Habana, Havana); and Susana Morejon Martinez (Director, University Extension, Instituto Superior de Pedagogia, Havana). Bibliography 1. Report of Math & Science Education Delegation to Cuba, J. Professional Proceedings, People to People Ambassadors Program, October, 2000. http://www.ambassadorprograms.org/ (accessed Mar 2003). 2. Manual of Information, Master’s Program in Chemistry & Mathematics Education, University of Havana, 2000. http:// www.uh.cu/ (accessed Mar 2003). 3. Manual of Information, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior Politecnico “Jose Antonio Echeverria”, 2000-01. 4. “Cuba Le Ofrece…”; Editorial SI-MAR: Havana, Cuba,1999.
JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 80 No. 8 August 2003 • Journal of Chemical Education
891
