By
Brooke Wonders
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Arizona students will get a behind the scenes look at a country previously hidden by red tape and government restrictions.
In September 2000, University of Arizona architecture professor Ralph Hammann secured one of the first licenses given for student exchange programs in Cuba.
Hammann began investigating the possibility of a group visa more than five years ago and encountered many difficulties with the U.S. Department of Treasury.
After much negotiating, he was able to secure a group visa with his name as the primary carrier, which required him to sign off on all the visas for participating students.
The license allows UA students, faculty and professionals to conduct social and architectural research in Cuba.
By operating under a university license, Hammann said he was able to bypass the lengthy acceptance process.
"If a U.S. citizen wanted to apply for a travel license, they had to show a research interest or have professional interest in Cuba," he said.
Hammann added that the applications often take five months to process, and even after all of the paperwork, there was no guarantee of gaining a license to enter Cuba.
"Now we have a license for the entire university, for everyone with a research interest," he said.
Hammann began the project to expose students to the changes in architecture and urban design in Cuba, from pre-revolution to modern constructions.
The program includes travel to Havana, Cienfuegos, Trinidad and several other cities on the island, allowing students from various research fields to explore their own subject areas.
The students will be able to participate in field trips, walking tours and lectures.
The trip will cost approximately $2,400 a person and will cover airfare from the port city - the Bahamas - to Cuba, three-star lodging, visa and registration fees, select meals and transportation.
In order to keep costs at a minimum and operate the trip under university protocol, Hammann enlisted the aid of Caroline Patrick from the UA Study Abroad office.
She was able to help design a curriculum that incorporated Hammann's architecture focus as well as an exchange program for students in Cuba.
"Essentially it is a program that focuses on architecture in its historical and functional context in Cuba," she said. "Now the University of Arizona is one of the few universities with a license to take students to Cuba."
While the number of students applying for the May 19-June 4 program has not been determined, Patrick said between 10 and 15 students will be admitted to the program.
Applications, which can be picked up in the Study Abroad office, must be completed and turned in by April 30, she added.
"The program is not just for architecture students," Hammann said. "We have had people interested from business, marketing, art, modern languages and landscape design."
Hammann added that while the summer trip has received a lot of publicity, he expects students will be able to learn more about the country at today's 2 p.m. lecture in the Architecture building.
Interested students can contact the Study Abroad office for more information.
