Speaking at a press conference on December 22, Cuban Ambassador to Viet Nam Rogelio Polanco Fuentes said the scholarships comprise eight places in medicine and seven in other fields under the Ministry of Higher Education (MES), including economics, journalism, natural sciences, humanities and social sciences. Applicants must be aged between 16 and 25 and have completed upper secondary education or an equivalent level.
The programme will prioritise candidates from low-income households who lack the means to pursue overseas studies, as well as those from remote and disadvantaged areas of Viet Nam. Applications must be submitted by March 31, 2026.
Successful applicants will receive full financial support from the Cuban Government, covering tuition, accommodation, meals and health insurance for the entire five- to six-year course, including a preparatory year in Spanish.
Ambassador Rogelio Polanco Fuentes noted that, despite facing economic challenges, Cuba continues to provide scholarships to Viet Nam each year as “a testament to the special and long-standing relationship between the two countries”.
The initiative to educate Vietnamese students in Cuba was launched by Fidel Castro in 1961. Since the first cohort of 23 students, approximately 1,300 Vietnamese have graduated from Cuban institutions, many of whom have later assumed important roles in Viet Nam’s political and diplomatic spheres.
