The Cuban Jorge Alonso (@_jorgito_alonso) posed a question on social media that sparked an intense debate on Instagram, generating various reflections on Industrial Engineering and its application in Cuba.
The question "What does an industrial engineer do?" received over 800 comments, nearly 24,000 likes, and close to 300,000 views in less than three days.
In the video, an excited young man announces that he has just chosen Industrial Engineering as "the career of his dreams," but when asked what exactly is done in that profession, he responds without hesitation: "How am I supposed to know, I'm a student, dude."
Next, he poses the question to a man who has been practicing the profession for 48 years, who also does not provide an answer in the clip. The most liked comment on the post, with 1,038 likes, says it all: «Even scientists have not been able to investigate what an industrial engineer does».
The second most popular option leaned towards baseball humor: “An industrial engineer devises plays for the Industriales team,” referring to the capital's team in Cuban baseball.
The most philosophical and succinct response in the thread garnered 204 likes with just four words: “It all depends”.
The comment that generated the most discomfort points directly to the Cuban labor reality: «Selling in the mipymes with the doctors».
The phrase connects with the situation of professionals who leave their jobs due to low state salaries and prefer to work in the private sector, even if it is not in their profession.
An internet user claims that Industrial Engineering is "the intermediate technician of CUJAE" and shared a search result online.
"This professional applies a diverse range of knowledge, including: management, statistics, supply chains, strategic planning, thermodynamics, ergonomics, calculus, plant development, and production systems, among others. (I got curious and looked it up on Google, so you’re welcome)," he commented.
Another person pointed out: "An industrial engineer makes everything work better in a practical and orderly way: they organize processes to avoid time loss, optimize the use of resources, and analyze information to make more efficient decisions. In short, they are the ones who keep everything coordinated so that work flows smoothly and continuously."
The question also opened the door to other careers with equally mysterious functions. "Let's see... What does a graduate in Sociocultural Studies do?"
In the humorous take on university professions, there was another user who made an international comparison: "In other countries, it's called Business Administration, the same degree, I don't understand why they like to complicate everything here."
Industrial Engineering is studied at various Cuban universities, but the most comprehensive programs are offered at CUJAE, where the degree lasts five years and has integrated information technology into its curriculum since 2018.
The industrial sector accounts for 22.5% of the national economy, although the gap between academic training and the actual labor market remains one of the topics that frustrates young Cubans the most.
The debate sparked by the video from @_jorgito_alonso is part of a well-established tradition of Cuban humor on social media, where satire about trades and professions serves as a release valve in the face of precariousness and the disconnect between what is studied and what is ultimately done, both inside and outside the country.
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