Social Science Research Council

In collaboration with the Christopher Reynolds and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundations, the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) established in 1997 an academic Working Group devoted to extending and broadening scholarly relations between Cuba and the United States. The Working Group, chaired by former ACLS President Stanley Katz and staffed at the SSRC, works in partnership with the Academy of Sciences in Cuba to promote scholarly exchange and cooperation and to support activities that facilitate the flow of information between scholars in Cuba and their North American counterparts.

To date, the Working Group has provided funds to enable Cuban researchers to take part in international conferences and research networks; to facilitate travel to Cuba by North American educators; to enable the translation or publication of scholarly works by Cuban researchers; and to assist Cuban libraries, archives, and museums to develop and maintain resources that will facilitate the conduct of scholarly research.

In addition, the Working Group has introduced several programs designed to help build relationships of trust essential to the development of enduring networks involving Cuban scholars and their colleagues abroad, as well as to improve the scholarly resources available to Cuban researchers. The primary focus of the Working Group at present is its Initiative on Cuban Libraries and Archives, funded by the Ford Foundation.