• Submitted by: admin
• 11 / 29 / 2006

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By JOEL MAYOR LORAN

"How beautiful that on this day when celebrations begin for the Cuban presidents 80^th birthday, we inaugurate this new San Geronimo University of Havana, a long held dream of Fidel," said Havana City Historian Eusebio Leal at the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday.

Leal thanked the Cuban leader for his determination to preserve the nearly three-century old building where illustrious Cubans had graduated, among them Felix Varela, Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, Ignacio Agramonte and Jose Marti.

The San Geronimo building will now serve to train future architects specializing in restoration, one of the major tasks facing Old Havana and other areas of the Cuban capital.

Eusebio Leal said the university itself would serve as an example after the careful restoration work that included using stone slabs from Michoacan, Mexico, as in the original construction.

The new campus is located at the same site where the first Cuban university existed centuries ago. The multi-use installation also includes museums, a cinema and other facilities.

Juan Vela Valdez, the minister of Higher Education, spoke of Fidel Castros ideas on education and his efforts to extend knowledge. He added that the Cuban leaders dream to extend university level education to all of the countrys municipalities has been a great success.

Carlos Lage Codorniu, president of the Federation of University Students, reaffirmed the students commitment to defend the revolution of Fidel and Marti.

The inauguration of the San Geronimo University was attended by several of the top Cuban government officials including Council of State Vice Presidents Esteban Lazo and Carlos Lage, Minister of Culture Abel Prieto, Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon, Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, Minister of Education Luis Ignacio Gomez as well as Alfredo Vera and Pablo Guayasamin of the Guayasamin Foundation, which has organized a series of events in Havana to celebrate Fidel Castros 80^th birthday.

Source: Granma