In recent hours, a diplomatic announcement caught the attention of Cuban students and professionals seeking opportunities outside the island. The message, disseminated from Havana, indicated that a European institution has several training positions available, but only for a very short period.
The call for applications arose amid growing interest in educational options that allow for progress in areas related to global development. Although the embassy did not clarify all the details in its initial announcement, it did make it clear that these are in-person programs with a limited duration.
Three programs focused on global challenges
The Belgian diplomatic mission confirmed that the University of Antwerp, through its Institute of Development Policy, offers three master's degrees designed for those who want to delve deeper into current phenomena such as human mobility, social inequalities, climate, and public governance.
These are intensive, one-year academic courses, taught full-time and with the participation of students from different regions. The objective is to train professionals capable of analyzing and transforming complex realities in countries of the Global South and in similar contexts.
What each of the programs offers
The three open programs cover key areas of international development:
• Development evaluation and management: Proposes tools to measure impact on issues such as gender, migration, climate, and aid projects. Includes blended methodologies and a review of real-world experiences.
• Governance and Development: Examines the influence of institutions, power decisions, and policy design on social outcomes. Students acquire skills to understand and improve governance.
• Globalization and development: Provides knowledge to study inequality, human mobility and environmental changes from a broad perspective based on data, theory and public policies.
A training experience that includes fieldwork
The academic center describes these master's programs as opportunities that allow students to learn both in the classroom and in the field. The programs include research stays in countries such as Nicaragua, Tanzania, and the Philippines, where students encounter diverse realities and develop criteria for future cooperation projects.
Furthermore, the institution emphasizes that the applications are free and that there are no authorized intermediaries. The entire process is managed directly through their official platforms, and classes are taught in English.
Dates, registration, and center warning
The institute will offer an online information session on December 15, where it will explain deadlines, required documentation, and details of each master's program. Deadlines vary depending on the visa requirements projected for 2026, which is why the embassy emphasized that interested applicants should begin the application process as soon as possible.
The publication also comes at a time of change, as Belgium announced that its diplomatic mission in Havana will soon close as part of a reorganization of its consular network.