Abstract
This paper presents case studies on how Cuban universities have increasingly become directly involved with the economic and social development of the country. The paper shows how Cuban universities, from the early 1980s and early 1990s, started reorientation and organization of their scientific research, becoming more directly and intensely involved in the economic and social development of the country. In this way, special reference is made to the case of a research group at the University of Havana: the Laboratory of Synthetic Antigens. This group developed the first synthetic vaccine for human use approved in the world. In the article, public policies involved in this success as well as different obstacles are discussed. These obstacles demonstrate the difficulties and challenges that universities face when carrying out research and innovation activities related to economic and social development.
This paper was originally published in issue 36(2) (March 2009) of Science and Public Policy. It is reprinted here by kind permission of the authors.
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Notes
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The Scientific Pole of Biotechnology in Cuba includes over 40 institutions, more than 12,000 staff and 7,000 scientists, and has generated over 900 registered patents.
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Subsequently Laboratory of Synthetic Antigens (1990).
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In this case, a number of research-production centers from the West Scientific Pole of Havana were involved: National Biopreparations Center (BIOCEN), Finlay Institute, the Pedro Kouri Tropical Medicine Institute, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) and the Molecular Immunology Center.
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Doctors Jose Luis DiFabio from PAHO and Edwin Griffith from the WHO very much facilitated work on the vaccine.
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National network at the level of primary healthcare that ensures one doctor and nurse for every 120 families. They are the first level of care in every disease prevention program in the country.
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The drug regulatory body of the Republic of Cuba, it performs the basic roles of access control to laboratories, registration of medicines and diagnostic kits, clinical trials, post-sales surveillance, good practices inspections, lot releases and issuance of licenses to establishments.
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Pérez Ones, I., Núñez Jover, J. (2014). Can Universities Develop Advanced Technology and Solve Social Problems?. In: Baracca, A., Renn, J., Wendt, H. (eds) The History of Physics in Cuba. Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science, vol 304. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8041-4_10
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