Cuban Science Day at the Cuban Embassy
Celebration at the Cuban embassy promoting Cuban German cooperation
January 26th, 2026
On Thursday, 15 January 2026, German and Cuban academics and scientists residing in Germany, many of whom have contributed to a longstanding tradition of scientific cooperation between the two countries, gathered at the Cuban Embassy in Berlin to mark Cuban Science Day.
The meeting, held within the framework of activities commemorating the centenary of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, opened with a reflection on a historic speech in which, during the first year of the Revolution, Fidel articulated his conviction that “the future of our homeland must necessarily be a future of men of science, it must be a future of men of thought.”
In her address, Ambassador Juana Martínez González underlined that this vision laid the foundation for a comprehensive national strategy for building scientific and research capacity—an approach that has enabled Cuba to confront and overcome numerous challenges throughout its revolutionary history. She noted in particular the difficult conditions faced by the island, which for more than six decades has been subject to an economic blockade imposed by the United States.
She further emphasised that this body of scientific knowledge has been cultivated with a commitment to the preservation of peace—often described as humanity’s most cherished aspiration—and called upon the global scientific community to continue directing its efforts toward the pursuit and safeguarding of peace, particularly at a moment when it faces unprecedented challenges.
The Ambassador subsequently invited the participants—including the Director of the Berlin Botanical Garden, representatives of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin University of Technology, as well as several biology and virology research institutes—to take part in an informal exchange on their experiences in Cuban German scientific cooperation.
Participants shared the view that closer networking among Cuban and German scholars and institutions engaged in cooperation with Cuba would be highly beneficial, enabling improved coordination of initiatives and more effective joint support for collaborative endeavours.
The occasion also provided an opportunity to extend formal congratulations to Dr Tobias Kraft on his appointment as a Corresponding Member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences. This distinction was conferred following a nomination by the Office of the Historian of the City of Havana (OHC), in recognition of the Humboldt Digital project, dedicated to the digitisation of documentary heritage related to Alexander von Humboldt.
Dr Kraft carried out this project between 2019 and 2023 in cooperation with the OHC, within the framework of the long-term Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities initiative Humboldt auf Reisen (Humboldt’s Travels), which has itself also received recognition from the Cuban Academy of Sciences.
