CAMAGUEY.- (ACN) The Mexican Benemerita Autonomous University of Puebla (BUAP) and the University of Camaguey (UC) celebrated on Tuesday in the city Camaguey its first quarter of a century with the participation of 2 thousand students and some 100 professors that have benefited from the academic exchanges.

During the closing of the International Encounter of Architecture, Design and Urbanism for Tourism, both Mexican and Cuban representatives discussed the advantages of the scientific collaboration project with a profound essence of solidarity and friendship.

The exchange began and grew in the 1990’s during Cuba’s economic crisis or special period, but the cooperation between institutions never stopped and the Mexican people were always loyal to their Cuban counterparts, said Santiago Lajes Rector of the University of Camaguey.

As a result of the encounter, some one thousand 500 thesis and research work were developed with a strong impact in the contents of the urban sites of both universities, said its directive.

In representation of the Rector of BUAP, Professor Manuel Sandoval recalled that the bass of the cooperation was shaped with the participation of 200 Mexican students in their thesis related with the growth of the Cuban tourism infrastructure in the 1990’s.

The event has gathered students ready to select their thesis since 1992, almost all of them looking towards the buildings or spaces located in very important enclaves due to their historic values in both Camaguey and Puebla.

Kelly Rojas, one of the Mexican students assisting in the event this year and recently graduated, as architect, believes that it is very important to have Cuban professors as consultants for their thesis.

They offered a different point of view and helped us see elements that sometimes the daily routine impedes us from considering it due to a different realty of our communities, said the Mexican youth who together with her colleague Diana Pacheco intervened in a youth rehabilitation center in Puebla.

The recently concluded encounter included the discussion of 14 thesis, qualified as high quality and conceptual richness. Founding professors of the institutions and cooperation agreement that have collaborated in the event’s growth were recognized during the closing session.