Dedicated to the memory of Humberto Calzada. / Dedicado a la memoria de Humberto Calzada.
All instances of "Cuban Research Institute" have been left as-is for archival purposes. The name of the institute has since been changed to the Institute for Cuban Studies.
The XV Conference on Cuban and Cuban American Studies, organized by FIU’s Cuban Research Institute, brings together the largest international gathering of scholars specializing in Cuba and its diaspora since 1997 to examine the theme “Cuba: The Day After Tomorrow.” Convened at a moment of profound political, economic, and social crisis for the Cuban regime—widely regarded as the most severe since 1959—the conference offers a timely forum to reflect on the island’s future beyond the current system and to consider the possibilities of national refoundation following a potential transition.
Across 23 panels over two days, more than seventy-five scholars, experts, activists, and students from the United States, Cuba, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom engage in interdisciplinary dialogue spanning fields such as history, economics, political science, law, sociology, literature, music, and international relations. Supported by FIU partners including CasaCuba, the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum, and the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center, the conference provides a broad, forward-looking roadmap for imagining a free, independent, and democratic Cuba.
Welcome to the XV Conference on Cuban and Cuban American Studies. FIU´s Cuban Research Institute (CRI) has organized this meeting, the largest international gathering of scholars specializing in Cuba and its diaspora, since 1997. Every other year, the Institute welcomes the submission of panels and papers on any aspect of Cuba and its diaspora, while focusing on a particular topic of interdisciplinary interest. The main theme of this year’s conference is “Cuba: The Day After Tomorrow.”
The Castro regime is experiencing its most severe crisis since taking power in 1959. Rather than a transitory juncture generated by a single event, as was the case during the “Special Period” of the early 1990’s, the current predicament appears to be much more consequential. Today, the regime is confronting manifold emergencies on several different fronts, from multiple economic breakdowns to a collapse of political legitimacy. These compound crises cannot be managed without significant structural reforms, which the regime continues to refuse unambiguously. Unlike previous occasions, there is no foreign partner willing to financially sponsor the regime and arrest the collapse. One way or another, the long-term survival of the regime in its current form has never appeared more questionable.
Regardless of what could happen tomorrow in Cuba, this is an auspicious time to contemplate what the island should look like the day after. Considering the pervasive nature of the changes brought by the Castro regime, a regime transition would offer a unique opportunity to re-found the Cuban nation. I believe this Conference is the ideal vehicle to realize this opportunity.
The breath and diversity of the 23 panels presented during the following two days offer what could be a comprehensive roadmap for a future free and independent Cuba. The conference brings together more than seventy-five specialists in numerous disciplines, including anthropology, economics, history, international relations, law, literary criticism, music, political science, sociology, etc. The program features speakers from throughout the U.S., Cuba, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom. In addition to renowned scholars, the conference has gathered numerous grassroot experts and activists who have been imagining the future of a free and democratic Cuba for many decades. We are especially proud of the many graduate and undergraduate students participating in the conference.
I am happy to acknowledge the cosponsorship by FIU’s CasaCuba, the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum, and the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center. I also want to recognize the efficient support of the Graham Center and other FIU staff in planning and organizing this meeting, especially that of CRI’s team: Aymee Correa, Public Affairs Manager, Paola Salavarria, Program Specialist, Adriana Pichs, Graduate Assistant, and Amelia Diaz, Student Assistant, and our many volunteers.
I thank all the conference participants for your interest and support and hope you have a productive experience during our two-day meeting.
Sebastian A. Arcos
Interim Director
Cuban Research Institute
Humberto Calzada
Humberto Calzada (Havana, Cuba-Miami, 1944-2025) was a Cuban American plastic artist whose career has spanned over 40 years. Born in Havana, Cuba, he left the island with his family when he was sixteen years old, shortly after the Castro takeover. In the U.S. he studied industrial engineering and finances, but his heart was in his art. By the late 1970s he was already recognized as a member of the “Miami Generation,” the first group of Latino artists born abroad who broke into the U.S. artistic circuit. Calzada's work is strongly influenced by his native city's colonial and neoclassical architecture. He is renowned for placing its architectural imagery in surreal, dreamlike settings to explore themes of loss, decay, and rebirth. Calzada’s work has been exhibited in many esteemed galleries and museums around the world, and can be found in numerous private collections.
Humberto was a good friend of the Cuban Research Institute and a loyal member of its Community Advisory Board until his passing. He had a keen interest in exchanging ideas with younger, recently arrived Cubans, hoping to understand how the new generations saw the island’s future. Always open minded, an eternal optimist, and with a quick sense of humor, Humberto was the archetypical Cuban and an exceptional human being.
Humberto Calzada (La Habana-Miami, 1944-2025) era un artista plástico con más de 40 años de carrera profesional. Nacido en La Habana, Cuba, salió de la isla con su familia a los dieciséis años poco después de la llegada de Fidel Castro al poder. En los EE.UU. estudió ingeniería industrial y finanzas, pero su corazón se inclinaba por el arte. A finales de los años 70 ya había sido reconocido como parte de la llamada “Generación de Miami”, el primer grupo de artistas de origen latino nacidos fuera de los EE.UU. que logró entrar al circuito artístico norteamericano. Su trabajo siempre estuvo influenciado por la arquitectura colonial y neoclásica de su ciudad natal, y se hizo famoso por colocar la arquitectura en espacios surrealistas y ensoñadores, explorando temas de pérdida, decadencia, y renacimiento. Su trabajo se ha exhibido en numerosas galerías y museos del mundo, y es parte de muchas colecciones privadas.
Humberto fue un gran amigo del Instituto de Estudios Cubanos y un leal miembro de nuestra Junta Comunitaria hasta su muerte. Siempre tuvo un especial interés en compartir ideas con jóvenes cubanos recién llegados a Miami, intentando comprender cómo las nuevas generaciones veían el futuro de la isla. Un eterno optimista de mente abierta, y con un agudo sentido del humor, Humberto era un cubano típico y un ser humano excepcional.
