The relationship between two fields that must necessarily draw upon one another took center stage at the first “Communication and Society: A Perspective from Academia” Colloquium, held at the University of Medical Sciences in Las Tunas as part of the activities marking the 230th anniversary of the city’s founding and the 35th anniversary of the creation of the Cuban Association of Social Communicators (ACCS in Spanish) at the national level.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- For Luis René Quiala Martínez, who holds a master’s degree in science, is an assistant professor, and serves as head of the Department of Social Communication at the University of Las Tunas (ULT in Spanish), the initiative arose from the need to create spaces where future professionals can analyze the role of communication within society and connect academic content with the real-world settings in which they will practice their profession.

Students from various years of the Social Communication program shared analyses and assessments of the discipline’s fundamentals and its connection to public communication. Rather than limiting itself to the curriculum, the discussion sought to show how communication shapes social dynamics and the responsibilities those working in the field assume.

One topic addressed the areas established in Communication Law. Its inclusion allowed students to become familiar with a framework that defines areas of professional practice and, at the same time, opened a debate on the responsibilities involved in working with information, messages, and diverse audiences. For Quiala Martínez, this connection between the classroom and professional practice is essential to the training of social communicators.

The Colloquium also showcased the program’s outreach efforts and strengthened the bond between ULT and ACCS. Part of this effort was the participation of Bárbaro Félix Aponte Castillo, who holds a master’s degree in science and serves as president of the ACCS Creative Circle in Las Tunas; his presence added a professional perspective to the academic exchange with the students.

The initiative is part of a broader program of activities throughout September. On the 29th, in celebration of Career Day, another colloquium dedicated to public relations will take place. The event will include a tribute to professors who have reached retirement age or taken on other roles after leaving the institution, although some maintain their ties to the university.

With this first edition, “Communication and Society” incorporated academic debate into the region’s celebrations and gave students the leading role in shaping the exchange. For a relatively new degree program in the Las Tunas university system, these forums allow students to connect their professional training with the country’s transformations and to understand communication as a practice directly linked to social life.