The conversation, which was conducted in Russian and Spanish with consecutive translations, touched upon key aspects of academic and scientific exchange.

Rector Inna Shevchenko noted the importance of the contribution of the Cuban interns to the scientific life of the university and expressed confidence in their brilliant professional future.

"Russia and Cuba have long-standing partnership and friendly relations. In this context, the development of cooperation in the educational and scientific fields is of particular importance. The interns are accompanied by leading experts whose authority is recognized not only in Russia, but also in the global scientific community. We look forward to future discoveries that will be the result of this joint work," Inna Shevchenko emphasized.

The internship program for Cuban specialists at the Southern Federal University demonstrates impressive results. International students involved in both educational and scientific programs highly appreciated the organization of the process and the practical benefits they receive for the development of their professional careers.

According to the trainees themselves, they were given a really warm welcome in the structural divisions of the SFedU and offered a rich program of events. The participants of the program called the acquired knowledge and access to the unique resources of the university a "significant contribution" to their further scientific activities. This contribution is already beginning to translate into concrete results: many of the Cuban researchers are in the final stages of preparing their scientific articles, which will be published in collaboration with Russian colleagues from SFedU.

There are also graduate students among the Cuban interns undergoing the research track program. For example, Anabel Gonzalez from the University of Holguin is completing her dissertation under the scientific supervision of Natalia Karpovskaya, Director of the International Institute of Interdisciplinary Education and Ibero-American Studies, which is a vivid example of the effectiveness of international scientific cooperation.

In addition to intensive academic and research work, the interns emphasized the importance of communicating with university students and immersing themselves in the culture of the Don Region. Russian Rostov—on-Don and Taganrog became an integral part of their understanding of Russian culture and mentality, which contributes to deeper and more productive integration into the academic environment of the SFedU. According to them, the acquaintance with the history and architecture of two cities - Rostov—on-Don and Taganrog.

The program "Internship in Russia – a step towards success", initiated and coordinated by SFedU, has been successfully implemented since 2023. It clearly demonstrates how academic mobility becomes a springboard for launching international scientific collaborations and real career prospects for young scientists.