The David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University has received an institutional license from the U.S. Treasury Department that permits the Center to engage in certain academic exchanges. The license was renewed on January 28, 2009 and expires January 31, 2010.

The University’s license permits it to authorize students to engage in travel-related transactions in Cuba for educational programs. Such travel would otherwise be illegal for U.S. citizens and residents because of the U.S. embargo on trade with Cuba. Harvard’s license only applies to students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs at Harvard University. To be eligible for travel under the University’s license:

Undergraduate students must fall into at least one of the following two categories:

• students who are participating in a “structured educational program” as part of a Harvard course, “provided the program includes a full term, and in no instance includes fewer than 10 weeks, of study in Cuba.” This means either (1) a group of students currently enrolled in a Harvard course who travel to Cuba for at least a 10-week period to engage in meetings, attend lectures or performances, conduct interviews, visit museums and archives, or pursue other learning experiences as part of that course; or (2) individual students who spend at least 10 weeks in Cuba engaged in a research project as part of their Honors Thesis or another Harvard course in which they are currently enrolled or will be enrolled after returning from Cuba);

• students who enroll in formal courses of instruction at a Cuban academic institution, provided that they are eligible to receive Harvard College credit for those courses (requires formal approval from the Office of International Programs (OIP)), and provided the course of study is no shorter than 10 weeks in duration.