The University of Las Tunas is restructuring its educational processes to adapt to the specific economic and social conditions the country is facing.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- Dr. Yoenia Virgen Barbán Sarduy, rector of the university, announced that educational programs will transition to a blended learning model, drawing on the infrastructure of municipal university centers.

Barbán Sarduy explained that this measure is the result of an in-depth analysis of the reality in Cuba. “In organizing its teaching for this period, the University of Las Tunas —taking into account the specific economic and social conditions the country is currently facing— has decided to shift educational programs to a blended learning model.”

One of the fundamental pillars for implementing this model is the network of Municipal University Centers (CUMs in Spanish). The rector emphasized that these campuses serve as a vital space for incoming students.

“Enrollment took place at the CUMs in each municipality, and this is where first-year students will take introductory courses in the various subjects they need for their first year of study during this upcoming phase,” she explained.

This strategy ensures that newly enrolled students do not necessarily have to travel to the main campus in the provincial capital, facilitating their access to higher education from their home regions and reducing travel and housing costs.

For upperclassmen, the strategy differs. The chancellor explained that continuing students are already integrated into the workforce, which allows for practice-based learning.

“In the case of continuing students, local workplaces and teaching units are integrated into the program, where their training continues to be strengthened through practical experience, and they continue to receive a certain amount of instruction through the various channels we have been able to implement,” she concluded.

With this reorganization, the University of Las Tunas seeks to ensure the continuity of the academic year, maintaining educational quality while adapting to the material and energy constraints of the environment, and strengthening the link between academia, the local community, and the workforce.