2023-12-25 19:00:25
Original source with all the details at the University of Florida stops the hiring of Cuban researchers and other “countries of concern.”
The hiring of Cubans is especially affected to nourish the Cuban Research Institute. (Photo © Cuban Newspaper)
Florida International University (FIU) announced that it will immediately stop hiring researchers who are from six countries, including Cuba, considered “concerning” by the state government. Along with the Island, the “black list” of nations includes Venezuela, China, Russia, Syria, Iran and North Korea.
The executive order of the center of higher studies instructs deans and directors of graduate programs to pause any job offers or hiring attempts that involve individuals from the aforementioned countries.
More than 300 university professors have expressed their disagreement to Andrés Gil, vice president of Research at FIU, as they consider that the radical rule could harm the development, reputation and leadership of the educational institution.
The hiring of Cubans is especially affected to nourish FIU’s Cuban Research Institute (CRI), a department that collaborates closely with Cuban and Venezuelan opponents in various academic activities.
However, according to Gil, any offers made and any active recruitment should be stopped until they have adequate control over the process. This regulation also affects “unpaid research fellows,” a common situation among many Cubans and other international researchers.
“Graduate program directors and deans will be instructed on what to communicate regarding this process to newly admitted and/or potential graduate students interested in obtaining a graduate assistantship. Human Resources and Academic Affairs will communicate to the deans and Human Resources staff the impact for those employees who were currently in the incorporation process,” says the statement released by the FIU.
The FIU board follows the laws enacted by the Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, who with a radicalization of his mandate seeks to make himself known nationally in his campaign to obtain the nomination of the Republican Party as a presidential candidate for the November elections. of 2024.
Among other laws, approved last summer, it also prohibits foreigners from these countries from purchasing properties in Florida that are a certain distance from so-called “critical infrastructures,” such as airports or military bases.
FIU is an educational institution financed and supported by the state government of Florida, which is why it has a public nature. The university’s board of directors, made up of members appointed by the state government, plays a key role in selecting officers, including the student union president.
Regarding the adoption of regulations that involve the governor of Florida, he can influence the university’s decision-making process through his power to appoint members of the board of directors and his political influence.
However, policies and regulations specific to a public university such as FIU are often developed and approved in collaboration with the board of trustees, university administration, and other stakeholders, and may be subject to internal approvals and processes of the institution.
Original source and more details in Periódico Cubano
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