At a moment of profound uncertainty for Cuba—and intensified debate about the island’s possible futures—the conference offers a space to showcase how rigorous scholarship can deepen public understanding beyond immediacy and speculation. Bringing together diverse methodologies and disciplinary perspectives, New Directions in Cuban Studies features fresh approaches to the study of Cuba’s history, culture, politics, economy, and inter/transnational connections.

We encourage scholars from across the humanities, social sciences, environmental studies, and related fields to submit individual paper proposals connected to one of the following thematic or methodological tracks:

• Archives, Memory, and Oral History
• Ethnographies/Sociologies of Cuba’s Present
• Diasporic and Transnational Cuba
• Media, Culture, and Digital Scholarship
• Governance, Economy, Environment, and Cuba in a Changing Global Order

Submissions will be reviewed by members of the Cuban Heritage Collection’s Academic Advisory Committee. Proposals that incorporate comparative or interdisciplinary perspectives are welcome.

The conference keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Lillian Guerra, Professor of Cuban and Caribbean History at the University of Florida and co-editor of Cuban Studies. The author of five highly regarded books, Dr. Guerra will draw on her recent scholarship and oral history interviews to reflect on the evolution of Cuban Studies as a discipline, the intellectual and political debates that have shaped it over time, and the challenges and possibilities facing the field at a potential inflection point for Cuba and Cuban communities worldwide.

The Goizueta Foundation generously funds this program. Additional support is provided by the Wilbur L. and Jean L. Morrison Endowment for Cuban Studies and the Emilio Bacardí Moreau Chair in Cuban and Cuban-American Studies.

FORMAT

New Directions in Cuban Studies 6 is a fully in-person event on the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables, FL. In the interest of maximizing direct dialogue and exchange, virtual presentation options are not available. We anticipate hosting the next iteration of the conference in 2028 as a fully virtual event to facilitate greater international engagement.

The Cuban Heritage Collection will invite a senior scholar to moderate and comment on each of the panels.

All conference proceedings will be video recorded and made available on the Cuban Heritage Collection website at a later date.

ELIGIBILITY

Advanced graduate students and early-career scholars at U.S. and non-U.S. academic institutions are eligible to apply.

Additional Information:

• Past and current CHC or Goizueta Foundation Graduate Fellows are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Thanks to generous funding from The Goizueta Foundation, the Cuban Heritage Collection will offer an honorarium of $500 to panelists selected to participate in the conference in person¹.
• An additional $500 will be offered to panelists traveling from beyond southeast Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties) to help defray travel and lodging costs.
• Proposals may be submitted in English or Spanish. This also applies to the language of presentation.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

SUBMIT PROPOSAL

Proposals will be accepted electronically through Interfolio until August 1, 2026 and should include:

• Completed Application Form
• Paper Title
• Abstract of no more than 500 words
• Language of presentation (English or Spanish)

Questions?

Please contact Annie Sansone-Martínez, Academic and Community Programs Manager at the Cuban Heritage Collection, at chc@miami.edu or 305-284-4900.

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Please note: Taxes may be deducted for participants from outside the United States, per federal regulations.