Banner image above: In 2015, CRI sponsored a symposium on the Catholic Church in Cuba and the diaspora, which was welcomed by the founding Dean of the Green School, John F. Stack.
Alejandro Portes was the keynote speaker at the Ninth Conference on Cuban and Cuban American Studies in 2014.
The Cuban Research Institute (CRI) frequently invites leading scholars and writers to address themes relevant to the study of Cuba and Cuban America. These lectures offer an opportunity for students and faculty as well as members of the Greater Miami community to engage with prominent and emerging Cubanists. The lectures are free and open to the public.
Over the years, CRI has sponsored numerous presentations by renowned experts on Cuban and Cuban American affairs, including the following:
- Holly Ackerman, Duke University
- Antonio Aja Díaz, University of Havana
- Juan Carlos Albizu-Campos Espiñeira, Center for Christian Reflection and Dialogue, Matanzas, Cuba
- Vitalina Alfonso Torres, literary critic and editor, Havana
- Alejandro Anreus, William Paterson University
- Nara Araújo, University of Havana
- Frank Argote-Freyre, Kean University
- Janet Batet, independent art critic
- José Bedia, artist
- Ruth Behar, University of Michigan
- Margalit Bejarano, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Emilio Bejel, University of California, Davis
- Richard Blanco, writer
- María Brito, artist
- Tania Bruguera, Harvard University
- Michael Bustamante, Florida International University
- María Antonia Cabrera Arús, New York University
- Madeline Cámara, University of South Florida
- Yosvany Carvajal, Centro Félix Varela, Havana
- Humberto Castro, artist
- Armando Chaguaceda, University of Guanajuato, Mexico
- Daína Chaviano, writer
- Javier Corrales, Amherst College
- Miguel Coyula, University of Havana
- Emilio Cueto, independent scholar
- Carol Damian, Florida International University
- Alejandro de la Fuente, Harvard University
- Cristóbal Díaz-Ayala, Fundación Musicalia
- Sergio Díaz-Briquets, independent scholar
- Haroldo Dilla, Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Santo Domingo
- Jorge Domínguez, Harvard University
- Susan Eckstein, Boston University
- Carlos M. N. Eire, Yale University
- Carlos Estévez, artist
- Richard E. Feinberg, University of California, San Diego
- Javier Figueroa, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras
- Víctor Fowler Calzada, Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba
- Coco Fusco, Parsons The New School for Design
- Eduardo Gamarra, Florida International University
- Vanessa García, writer
- Lisa García Bedolla, University of California, Berkeley
- Marie Laure Geoffray, Sorbonne Nouvelle University, Paris
- Roberto González Echevarría, Yale University
- Kelly M. Greenhill, Tufts University / Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Guillermo J. Grenier, Florida International University
- Julio César Guanche, Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Ecuador
- Lillian Guerra, University of Florida
- Jorge Gutiérrez, National Botanic Garden of Cuba
- Rafael Hernández, Temas magazine, Havana
- Andrea O'Reilly Herrera, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
- Evelyn Hu-Dehart, Brown University
- Catherine Krull, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada
- Petra Kuivala, Harvard University / University of Helsinki, Finland
- Albert Sergio Laguna, Yale University
- Roberta Lajous, former Mexican ambassador to Cuba
- María Luisa Lobo Montalvo, writer
- Kathleen López, Rutgers University
- Humberto López Morales, Real Academia Española de la Lengua, Madrid
- Eduardo Manet, writer
- María Martínez-Cañas, photographer
- Luis Martínez-Fernández, University of Central Florida
- Bárbaro Martínez-Ruiz, Stanford University
- Yolanda Martínez-San Miguel, University of Miami
- Adriana Méndez Rodenas, University of Missouri
- Ana Menéndez, writer
- Carmelo Mesa-Lago, University of Pittsburgh
- Carlos Alberto Montaner, journalist and writer
- Matías Montes Huidobro, University of Hawaii
- Robin Moore, University of Texas, Austin
- Dario Moreno, Florida International University
- Manuel Moreno Fraginals, Florida International University
- Consuelo Naranjo Orovio, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid
- Concepción Otero, University of Havana
- Solimar Otero, Indiana University Bloomington
- Ramona Oviedo Prieto, National Herbarium of Cuba
- Leonardo Padura, writer
- Michael Parmly, former Chief of Mission, U.S. Interests Section, Havana
- Ricardo Pau-Llosa, Miami Dade College
- Silvia Pedraza, University of Michigan
- Carmen Peláez, actress and playwright
- Louis A. Pérez, Jr., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Omar Everleny Pérez, Temas magazine, Havana
- Gustavo Pérez Firmat, Columbia University
- Pedro Pérez-Sarduy, writer
- Enrique Pineda Barnet, Higher Institute of Art, Havana
- Jorge R. Piñón, University of Texas, Austin
- Antonio José Ponte, Encuentro de la Cultura Cubana, Madrid
- Alejandro Portes, Princeton University / University of Miami
- Olga Portuondo Zúñiga, University of Oriente, Santiago de Cuba
- Gerald E. Poyo, St. Mary's University
- Yolanda Prieto, Ramapo College
- Sandra Pujals, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras
- José Ignacio Rasco, St. Thomas University
- Archibald M. Ritter, Carleton University, Canada
- Eliana S. Rivero, University of Arizona
- Yeidy M. Rivero, University of Michigan
- Irene Rodríguez, Irene Rodríguez Company
- José Conrado Rodríguez, Santa Teresita de Jesús Parish, Santiago de Cuba
- Rafael Rojas, Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas, Mexico City
- Carlos A. Romero Méndez, Central University of Venezuela
- Eugenio Rothe, Florida International University
- José Ruiz Elcoro, Miami City Ballet
- Yoani Sánchez, independent blogger and journalist
- Enrico Mario Santí, University of Kentucky / Claremont Graduate University
- K. Lynn Stoner, Arizona State University
- Jean Stubbs, University of North London
- Ned Sublette, New York University
- Víctor Andrés Triay, Middlesex Community College
- Zoé Valdés, writer
- Thomas Wenski, Archdiocese of Miami
- Alan West-Durán, Northeastern University
- Oscar Zanetti, University of Havana