Information about Georgia State’s Master of Heritage Preservation program is online at www2.gsu.edu/~wwwher/about.
While the U.S. is just beginning to reestablish its relationship with Cuba, a group of Georgia State students and faculty has been building close ties with the island through the university’s Master of Heritage Preservation program. Director Richard Laub has visited seven times, five times with a group of students in tow. The last trip took place between the spring and summer semesters in May.
“If you want to study architecture, Cuba has wonderful examples of all types, from the 1500s up to 1959, when the revolution happened,” said Laub. “The urban design there is different from the U.S., but similar to other Spanish settlements. And it’s close and fairly affordable for students to go there. We’ve had trips to Venice, Thailand, New Zealand and places that can get expensive.”
Cuba also boasts a robust preservation program that provides unique learning opportunities, said Laub.
“We work with an historian in Havana who’s been there about 30 years, and he’s formed partnerships with outside companies to fix up buildings in the old part of the city. Many of them have been turned into museums. There are also historians in some of the little cities we go to, and it’s interesting to see what smaller communities are doing. At the same time, the historians can provide an interesting perspective of Cuban history and what’s really happening in a Socialist country.”
While students do encounter old cars, dilapidated buildings and other reminders of Cuba’s poverty, they’re often amazed at what’s being saved.
“Lots of stuff is falling down, but they still have a pretty sophisticated program of saving old buildings within the context of the economy they have,” said Laub. “They also have a wing of the university devoted to teaching preservation, similar to what our program does here. And they have schools that teach crafts like masonry, carpentry, sculpture and stained glass to preserve these buildings.”
The Cuban study-abroad experience is part of a two-year master’s program that is deeply rooted in history and trains students in historic and archival preservation. Launched in 1983, it has grown steadily to enroll about 60 students today. An internship requirement often involves students taking on public history projects or compiling National Register nominations, as they have done for the Cabbagetown and Collier Heights neighborhoods in Atlanta.
Graduates go on to work in museums, corporate archives, history centers, and state and local preservation centers, as well as architectural or design firms.
“Throughout the program, we try to relate in a practical way to what we see people doing in the field,” said Laub. “Visiting Cuba offers that perspective.”
Graduate student David Greenberg made the trip this year and was enthralled by the glimpse into the past.
“The fact that Cuba has been a ‘forbidden’ country made it attractive to me,” he said. “So much of the old infrastructure is intact that is was like looking into a time capsule. Historic preservation is a growing field as people are beginning to recognize the need for smart building that makes use of historic structures for something else, other than just being demolished.”
The Cuban trips have a secondary impact as well, Laub pointed out. “For two weeks, students can’t use cell phones because they don’t work there. They actually have to talk to each other. It’s a wonderful throwback!”
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