International Educators Ask President To Restore Academic Travel To Cuba

NAFSA: Association of International Educators, along with a group of 17 organizations, sent a letter (PDF) on July 22, 2009, to President Obama urging him to remove restrictions on academic travel to Cuba. The letter cites the benefits of academic exchanges and notes that opportunities for Americans to study abroad in Cuba have declined precipitously since the Bush administration imposed restrictions on academic travel to Cuba in 2004. NAFSA noted that 220 American college students studied in Cuba during the 2006-2007 academic year; three years earlier, 10 times as many students had done so. The letter also supports granting U.S. visas to Cubans coming to the U.S. for exchange purposes, and a policy favoring academic, cultural, religious, sports, and professional visits. The letter further urges Cuban authorities to grant exit visas for students and scholars accepted by U.S. academic institutions.