In the tribute on Thursday, Nicado received the symbol from the hands of Panama City Mayor Juan Carlos Huerta, who acknowledged the rector’s contributions to science and academia.

The ceremony was followed by a gala that included musical performances and typical local dances.

The cultural and pedagogical events in the western region of Azuero ended a week of meetings organized by the University of Panama (UP), as part of the 6th International Summer School (EIV), at which the University of Havana was the guest of honor.

Nicado also received a doctorate honoris causa from the UP. At the ceremony, she spoke about the social responsibility of these centers of higher learning.

Nicado, who is also lawmaker in Cuba’s National People’s Power Assembly (Parliament), recognized the achievements in the social role of Latin American universities as a whole, but asserted that they must continue to transform, grow and innovate.

This constant role, she said, will be as long as there are children without schools, socially disadvantaged communities, lack of equity and justice, racism or other forms of discrimination, or education and health care are not natural conditions for human beings.

The Cuban rector headed a delegation of prominent UH pedagogues, who focused on the initiatives of the sixth edition of the EIV, which also included an exhibition of plastic arts dedicated to the struggle against the United States blockade against Cuba and another exhibition in tribute to designer Felix Beltran, who is considered the master of the Cuban posters.

The UP Experimental University Film Group dedicated the week to screening Cuban films and invited writer Leonardo Padura to give a workshop on the adaptation of anthological literary works to cinema.

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