Coalition Letter Urges President Obama to Restore Academic Travel to Cuba

WASHINGTON, July 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With a new academic year quickly approaching, NAFSA: Association of International Educators and a diverse group of 18 organizations today sent a letter to President Obama urging him to remove current restrictions on academic travel to Cuba.

The letter applauds the President's recent actions with respect to Cuba and asks him to take further steps toward his goal of setting U.S.-Cuban relations on a new path by restoring academic travel between the two countries.

Citing the many benefits of academic exchanges and their history of success in advancing democratic change and strengthening relations between the United States and other countries, the letter suggests that a policy of open academic travel between the United States and Cuba would align well with the President's interest in expanding opportunities for exchanges between young people around the world. As President Obama recently said to a group of students in Turkey, "exchanges can break down the walls between us."

Unfortunately, study abroad among Americans to Cuba has declined precipitously since the Bush administration imposed restrictive regulations on academic travel to the island in 2004. According to the latest data available from the Institute of International Education, only 220 American college students studied in Cuba during the 2006-2007 academic year. Three years earlier, ten times that many students had done so.

In addition to urging the President to restore academic travel to Cuba via general license, the letter supports the granting of U.S. visas for Cubans coming to the United States for exchange purposes and the announcement of a policy favoring academic, cultural, religious, sports and professional visits, and also urges Cuban authorities to grant exit visas for students and scholars accepted by U.S. academic institutions.

The letter was signed by the following organizations:

American Association of State Colleges and Universities

Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange

American Institute for Foreign Study

CIEE - Council on International Educational Exchange

Community Colleges for International Development

Cuba Academic Alliance

Emergency Coalition to Defend Educational Travel

Fund for Reconciliation and Development

Latin American Studies Association

Latin America Working Group

NAFSA: Association of International Educators

National Foreign Trade Council

Orbitz Worldwide

Partners of the Americas

Social Science Research Council

The OpenCuba.org Campaign

USA*Engage

Washington Office on Latin America

With 10,000 members, NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world's largest professional association dedicated to international education. Visit us online, and find us on Twitter, Facebook, and the NAFSA blog.

SOURCE NAFSA: Association of International Educators

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[Letter text]

July 22, 200

President Barack Obama

The White House
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Mr. President:

We are approaching the start of another academic year in which American students will find their opportunities to study abroad in Cuba to be severely curtailed because of regulations issued by the Bush administration. On behalf of the organizations listed below, we write in support of the very welcome actions that you have taken to begin to chart a new course in U.S. relations with Cuba, and to urge you, as you continue to develop new policies toward the island nation, to restore academic travel between our countries.

Exchange programs are often highlighted as a critical component of U.S. engagement in the world and have historically been a successful tool in building relations between nations. As you recently noted in your address to a group of students in Turkey, “exchanges can break down the walls between us.” However, Cuba currently remains the only country in the world where the United States government restricts study by American students, as well as academic travel by bona fide teachers and researchers. According to the latest data available, only slightly more than 200 students had the opportunity to study abroad in Cuba during 2006-2007 academic year, compared to more than 2,100 students who were able to study there only three years earlier.

One way in which to advance opportunities for young people to engage internationally would be to lift the current restrictions and permit academic travel to Cuba via general license. We would also welcome a trend of granting U.S. visas for Cubans coming for exchange purposes and encourage public announcement of a policy favoring academic, cultural, religious, sports and professional visits. Similarly, we urge Cuban authorities to grant exit visas for
President Barack Obama students and scholars accepted by US academic institutions. With a new academic year quickly approaching, we hope that you will act quickly to restore academic travel between the United States and Cuba.

Thank you for your consideration of these recommendations.

Sincerely,

American Association of State Colleges and Universities Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange
American Institute for Foreign Study
CIEE – Council on International Educational Exchange
Community Colleges for International Development
Cuba Academic Alliance
Emergency Coalition to Defend Educational Travel
Fund for Reconciliation and Development
Latin American Studies Association
Latin America Working Group
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
National Foreign Trade Council
Orbitz Worldwide Partners of the Americas
Social Science Research Council
The OpenCuba.org Campaign
USA*Engage Washington
Office on Latin America