A known member of the Cuban Communist Party and a well-known architect in Cuba recently joined Harvard University’s staff as a distinguished Robert F. Kennedy professor at the Graduate School of Design.
Harvard actively recruited Mario Coyula-Cowley and invited him to share his expertise on design and architecture, according to Harvard spokesman Joe Wrinn.
Coyula is the first Cuban to teach at Harvard since the island nation’s Communist takeover in 1959. Harvard professors said they were happy to see him join Harvard’s faculty, regardless of his political status.
“He has played a very helpful role in creating roles for our students in designing projects in Havana,” said Harvard professor John Coatsworth, director of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies. “Our students focused on two different neighborhoods in Havana. They learned how to redesign and rehabilitate the neighborhoods.”
Coyula, who will be visiting for one semester, brought his wife and son to the United States while leaving a daughter and grandchildren in Cuba. He is allowed to travel freely under his professorship status, according to an article in The Boston Globe.
Since Coyula is still on the Cuban government’s payroll, he will still pay taxes to Cuba.
Coyula is unable to comment to the media as a result of the Globe story, said Molly Howard, an employee in Coyula’s Harvard office.
“Professor Coyula has been advised by colleagues to not speak to any press at the moment because he was burned by the Globe,” Howard said. “He thought they [the Globe] were going to talk about his profession as an architect, but that turned out not to be the case.”
According to Wrinn, there is little controversy at Harvard regarding Coyula’s political ideology and being able to teach in America.
“It’s not the 1950s anymore,” Wrinn said.
Coatsworth agreed with Wrinn, saying Coyula was hired to teach about design and architecture and not to infiltrate the student body with communist ideology. Coatsworth said Coyula’s professional life is separate from his ideology.
“I don’t think there are any problems here,” Coatsworth said. “I think Coyula is convinced of his position in Cuba. I respect his convictions. But he is nonetheless a great teacher. He speaks wonderful English.”
Coatsworth denied any controversy involving Coyula that might have been instigated by the Globe.
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