The Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE) is a non-profit and non-political professional organization incorporated in the state of Maryland in 1990. Affiliated with the American Economic Association and the Allied Social Sciences Association of the United States, ASCE maintains professional contacts with social scientists throughout the world interested in engaging in scholarly discussion and research on Cuba and its comparative development.
Since the time of its founding, the primary mission of the organization is to study the elements and processes involved in a transition to a free market economy and a democracy as well as to promote scholarship, research, and publications on transition studies by its members. This remains its basic charter and ASCE continues to pursue the study of Cuba in a broad sense, with particular emphasis on the financial, economic, social, legal and environmental aspects of Cuba today and its process of transition.
Recent and Forthcoming ASCE Activities:
ASCE participation at the American Economic Association meetings in January 3-5, 2010 in Atlanta
The ASCE panel at the 2010 Annual Convention of the Allied Social Science Associations (ASSA) took place on January 3, 2010 in Atlanta, GA.
Arthur M. Diamond, Jr. (University of Nebraska-Omaha) presided over the panel dedicated to the Cuban Economy. The papers presented were: (1) Carmelo Mesa-Lago's Economic and Social Balance of 50 Years of Cuban Revolution (University of Pittsburgh), presented by Luis Locay, discussed by Arthur Diamond; (2) John Devereux and Luis Locay's The Absolution of History: Cuban Living Standards after fifty years of Revolutionary Rule (Queens College and Graduate Center, City University of New York and University of Miami, respectively) presented by John Devereux, discussed by Andrew Wolfe; and (3) Andrew Wolfe and Gabriel Di Bella' Challenges for Economic Measurement and Policies in a Bimonetary Economy (both from the International Monetary Fund) presented by Andrew Wolf, discussed by Luis Locay.
This panel was very important because the American Economic Association was reviewing the status of affiliated associations and one of the criteria for maintaining the affiliation to the AEA is attendance to the panels of the association during the AEA meetings.
Award to ASCE by the Cuban-American Association of Civil Engineers (CAACE) at the Annual Engineers Gala Banquet to be held on February 27th, 2010 at the Miami Airport Hilton Hotel
The Cuban-American Association of Civil Engineers is presenting to ASCE the Special President’s Award in recognition of its accomplishments, efforts and contribution to the Cuban Economy. This is an important honor for ASCE given that this is the second award that the CAACE has given during its existence of over forty years. The award will be accepted by Jorge Sanguinetty (current ASCE President), Armando Linde (former President) and Joaquin Pujol.
ASCE Seminar at the Council of the Americas in New York City
ASCE will be presenting a breakfast seminar on Cuba's current situation, its tourist sector and its infrastructure on March 30, 2010 at the Council of the Americas between 8:30-10:00 AM. The Council of the Americas’ address is 680 Park Avenue (at 68th St) New York, NY 10065 . Maria Werlau, Teo Babun, Juan Belt, and Rafael Romeu will put together the presentation. This is part of ASCE outreach efforts outside Miami and ASCE members can attend at the discount rate of $15. For upcoming details on the event and registration, go to http://as.americas-society.org/calendar.php
ASCE 20th Annual Meeting
The 20th Annual Meeting will be held in Miami on July 29-31 at the downtown Hilton Hotel on Biscayne Boulevard where the last few meetings have been held. The Board has chosen the theme of "Cuba at the Crossroads in the 21st Century".
More information will be provided in early 2010 on the 20th Annual Meeting but ASCE will be looking for panel chairmen/women, and presentations on subjects related to the Cuban economy and society, including macroeconomics; banking and finance; agriculture and the sugar industry; tourism; social and political aspects of economic development; education; health; environmental policy; law and legal institutions; civil society; gender issues; governance; infrastructure; and civil-military relations. Preference will be given to proposals for papers and panels related to the main theme, but all proposals will be given consideration. See call for papers.
ASCE´s Annual Student Award
ASCE sponsors a Student Research Award Competition evry year. The award is an internationally recognized venue for undergraduate and graduate interdisciplinary research dealing with Cuba's domestic issues, its foreign relations, or Cuba in comparative perspective.
See a call for papers for 2010 and a brief summary of activies undertaken during 2009 in the Student Award section
MAJOR ACTIVITIES in 2009
The 2009 and Seventh Carlos Diaz Alejandro Lecture was held on May 12, 2009
Dr. Carmelo Mesa Lago, Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Economics and Latin American Studies at the University of Pittsburg and Recipient of the First International Labor Organization Prize on Decent Work presented The Impact of the Global Economic Crisis on Social Security and Other Social Spending in Latin America based on his research on Social Protection in the World.
The lecture was jointly sponsored by the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy and the Inter-American Development Bank on May 12, 2009, at the Enrique V. Iglesias Conference Center (Cr-2), Inter-American Development Bank, 1330 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.
(This event was free and opened to the public; the conference was given in Spanish).
XIX ASCE´s Annual Meeting in July/August 2009
Every summer specialists on Cuba gather at ASCE Annual Meeting. The recent ASCE Annual Meeting was held on July 30 to August 1, 2009 at the Hilton Hotel (1601 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, Fl).
The main theme for the meeting was “ Cuba in a World of Uncertainty,” focusing on three sources of uncertainty: (1) internal economic and political reforms; (2) U.S. policy toward Cuba; and (3) the impact of the global financial and economic crisis. Papers and/or panels with these subjects were submitted. ASCE also invited paper and panels on subjects related to the Cuban economy and society, including macroeconomics; banking and finance; agriculture and the sugar industry; tourism; social and political aspects of economic development; education; health; environmental policy; law and legal institutions; civil society; gender issues; governance; infrastructure; and civil-military relations.
See Final Program
Oscar Espinosa Chepe´s presentation (Crisis sobre Crisis) at the Opeining Plenary on July 30, 2009.
Premiere Screening 2009 Documentary “Under Cuban Skies” was presented on July 30. Light lunch was provided courtesy of Cuba Study Group. For more details see attached flyer.. Also www.undercubanskies.com
.George Montalván .....Carlos Montaner
....Executive
Producer .....Producer/Director
Keynote Speaker on July 31 : Tom Gjelten, was the keynote speaker. He presented a lecture on "The Bacardi Story and Cuba's Future". Mr. Gjelten is correspondent on economic, intelligence, and national security issues for National Public Radio. He is also author of Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba: The Biography of a Cause (Viking, 2008). See Gjelten´s presentation.
Tom Gjelten at ASCE´s XIXth Annual Meeting
News articles (from Mexico, Spain and the USA) on the Conference
See Secretary Report for 2008 to 2009 activities presented at the ASCE´s Annual Business Meeting.
ASCE´s Panel in Puerto Rico
An ASCE’s panel on the Cuban Economic Future was organized in the context of Annual Meeting of la Asociación de Economistas de Puerto Rico on August 28, 2009 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Rolando Castañeda, Gerardo González and Carlos Saladrigas participated in the panel. Roberto Orro, Member of ASCE’s Board of Directors, chaired and organized the panel (see information, press coverage and photos of the meeting).
La Asociación para el Estudio de la Economía Cubana (ASCE) es una organización sin fines de lucro, ni afiliación política alguna, radicada en el Estado de Maryland, Estados Unidos. Desde su fundación, en 1990, ASCE ha tenido como su objetivo fundamental el promover el estudio de los problemas económicos de Cuba en un sentido amplio, así como de las políticas a implementar para una futura transición a una economía de mercado en el contexto de una sociedad democrática. En este contexto, ASCE promueve estudios, investigaciones, y publicación de trabajos sobre el desenvolvimiento de la economía cubana, asi como de las implicaciones de tipo social, legal, demograficas, politicas y su impacto en el medio ambiente. ASCE está afiliada a la Asociación Americana de Economía y la Alianza de Asociaciones de Ciencias Sociales de los Estados Unidos. También mantiene contactos con economistas profesionales tanto en otros países como en la isla de Cuba – ya estén asociados al gobierno o sean independientes—que estén interesados en compartir los resultados de sus investigaciones y puntos de vista.
Comité Ejecutivo
El Comité Ejecutivo de ASCE, elegido por un período de dos años, se reune mensualmente. Sus miembros, que residen en diferentes ciudades de Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico, sirven pro-bono en sus cargos. Desde su incepción han servido en el Comité Ejecutivo de ASCE miembros del mundo académico, funcionarios públicos y de organismos internacionales, abogados y hombres de negocios. Comunicaciones a miembros del Comité Ejecutivo pueden diregirse a ASCE, P.O. Box 28267, Washington, DC 20038-8267; o por e-mail a: ASCECUBA@ASCECUBA.ORG
Actividades
Las actividades de ASCE tradicionalmente han sido financiadas a través de las cuotas anuales y otros pagos efectuados por la membresía, la venta de publicaciones, así como donaciones recibidas de Universidades, corporaciones privadas, fundaciones y donantes individuales. Las donaciones a ASCE son deducibles para propósito de impuestos.
La principal actividad de ASCE son las Conferencias Anuales que tienen lugar en Miami, Florida, a principios de Agosto. Los trabajos presentados en estas Conferencias se publican en “Cuba in Transition.” Ya han sido publicados 18 volumenes; buena parte de estos trabajos están disponibles en el área de “Proceedings" en Publications del “web-site” de ASCE www.ascecuba.org que mantiene el Centro de Información sobre América Latina de la Universidad de Texas (LANIC). Copias de las publicaciones de ASCE se pueden ordenar por e-mail a ASCE@ASCECUBA.ORG
Las personas interesadas en presentar ensayos o en participar como comentaristas, u en otras capacidades, en las Conferencias de ASCE deben ponerse en contacto con el Dr. Jorge Pérez-López, Coordinador del Comité de Programa, annual.conference@ascecuba.org
ASCE también organiza sesiones sobre Cuba en las reuniones anuales de la Asociacion Económica Americana y otras asociaciones de economistas, así como la Conferencia Carlos Díaz Alejandro en honor del distinguido professor cubano-americano Carlos Díaz Alejandro, ya fallecido, que tuvo una carrera brillante en las universidades de Yale, Minnesota y Columbia. La primera Conferencia Carlos Díaz Alejandro se llevó a cabo en el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID) en diciembre de 1990 por el Dr. Felipe Pazos, primer Presidente del Banco Nacional de Cuba. Subsecuentemente, varios economistas profesionales de fama internacional han dado esta Conferencia: Guillermo Calvo, Anne Kruger, Jadgish Bjagwati, José Antonio Ocampo y, por último, Carmelo Mesa-Lago.
ASCE, en colaboración con el Instituto de Investigaciones sobre Cuba de la Universidad Internacional de la Florida (FIU), presentó una serie de conferencias y paneles de discusión abiertas al público en temas relacionados a Cuba. Cuatro sesiones de este “Cuba Forum” se presentaron en 2004-2005 en el Brookings Institution de Washington, DC. Las presentaciones estuvieron a cargo de Carmelo Mesa Lago (U. de Pittsburg) sobre pobreza y asistencia social, Ernesto Hernández Catá (John Hopkins Institution) sobre instituciones para la transición, Frank Mora (National War College) sobre el rol de los militares en Cuba, y un panel que incluía a Juan José Buitrago (Embajada de España) sobre las relaciones internacionales de Cuba. En el 2006 y el 2009 se organizaron conferencias sobre la situación de Cuba en San Juan, Puerto Rico
El 28 de agosto del 2009 el Director de ASCE Roberto Orro, residente en Puerto Rico, organizó una actividad conjunta de la Asociación de Economistas de Puerto Rico (AEPR) y ASCE que incluyó un panel sobre el futuro económico de Cuba (ver el programa e información sobre el evento).
Por varios años ASCE ha financiado una “Competencia Anual para Estudiantes” que ahora consiste en cuatro premios para los mejores trabajos de investigación sobre la economía cubana preparados por estudiantes universitarios y estudiantes de post-grado, respectivamente. Candidatos deben enviar sus trabajos a students.papers@ascecuba.org.
Acceder la planilla de membresía para ASCE
.jpg)