Prof. Karimi-Schmidt: Travel report on the 2025 Winter School at the University of Havana in Cuba.
From December 8 to 12, 2025, I was a visiting professor at the University of Havana as part of the third Winter School. The Winter School, led by Prof. Dagniselys Toledano (University of Havana) and Dr. Renate Pirstner-Ebner, was organized by the Research Center for Climate Law Graz (ClimLaw: Graz), the Institute for International Law and International Relations, and the Faculty of Law at the University of Havana.
The theme of this year's Winter School was "International, European and Cuban Law and Climate Litigation." In a five-day intensive seminar, a wide range of topics were taught and discussed with the young Cuban professors Jean Alberto, Sheyla Val, Amanda Alvarez, and Cosette Ramos. This year's topics included the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on climate change (July 2025), the advisory opinion of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on climate change (May 2024), as well as standing to sue, victim status, and extraordinary jurisdiction in the context of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Cuban students were wonderful and very inquisitive, and all of them achieved excellent results.
Havana is an interesting and historic city, shaped by colonial times and full of contrasts: wealth and poverty are often separated by just a city block. Power outages—so-called blackouts—that last for several hours, often up to 16, in different parts of the city, are a constant feature of daily life. Much of the city's infrastructure is outdated; nevertheless, a modern, technology-driven daily life thrives. Havana's youth, in particular, are very interested and curious. Many young people try to get a good education, perhaps to build a life abroad. This brain drain naturally has negative consequences, and it's a shame that often the best-educated young people leave the country.
Due to the COVID-19 crisis of 2020/2021, the economy has shrunk considerably. The only lucrative sector, tourism, has suffered particularly badly, resulting in many hotels not being fully booked. The economic situation for people is becoming increasingly difficult. There are numerous modern hotels – one of which, for example, was built by Saudi Arabian investors. In addition, there are many historic hotels.
The metropolis of Havana has more than 2 million inhabitants and is the capital of Cuba. There are beautiful old buildings from various eras. However, many buildings are in poor condition and dilapidated.
The first settlement of Cuba by Europeans – Spaniards – took place from the 15th century onward. However, Cuba has been inhabited for much longer, and traces of various peoples stretch back many centuries.
I managed to learn about a significant part of Havana's history in just one week. Havana and all of Cuba have so much to offer, and I hope to return to continue my explorations.
At the beginning of February, a young Cuban legal scholar from the University of Havana will be conducting research at the University of Graz for five months. I am already looking forward to seeing my colleague again. She will also be giving a guest lecture on Cuban law in my "International Environmental Law" course, and I would like to extend an invitation to all interested students. Details will be announced on our website under "News" in March 2026.