Professor from the University of Pinar del Río with decades of academic experience passes away

The University of Pinar del Río "Hermanos Saíz Montes de Oca" expressed its sorrow on Saturday over the passing of Professor Mayra Carmona González, one of the most prominent figures in the institution in the area of Economic Sciences, through a condolence message on its official Facebook page.

The publication, issued by the university itself, does not specify the cause or the exact date of death, but it was publicly shared along with two photographs of the professor and tagged the Ministry of Higher Education of Cuba, Rector Yorki Mayor Hernández, and official Saray Núñez González.

Graduated in Economics, Carmona González has built a decades-long academic and administrative career at the University of Pinar del Río.

She successively held the positions of head of the Teaching Department of Accounting and Finance, academic vice-dean, dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences, and vice-rector of the aforementioned university.

Later, she became the head of the Rector's Advisory Group and, in her last known position, Director of the Quality Management Department.

She obtained her Doctorate in Economic and Business Sciences from the University of Huelva, Spain, with a thesis on internal management auditing focusing on the Cuban case.

The institutional message emphasized that "his departure leaves an immense void in our classrooms and in the hearts of those who had the privilege of sharing his passion for teaching and his unconditional commitment to the training of generations of professionals."

The university expressed condolences to family, friends, colleagues, and students, and concluded its statement with the words: "Farewell, Professor Mayra. We will remember you with deep affection and gratitude."

The passing of Carmona González adds to a series of recent losses within the Cuban university faculty. Last February, the Central University "Marta Abreu" of Las Villas mourned the death of an emeritus professor, and in June of last year, the University of Guantánamo also bid farewell to a distinguished educator.

The context in which this loss occurs is one of profound crisis for Cuban universities. The University of Pinar del Río itself was at the center of a scandal in January when its rector announced the expulsion of two professors for the recording of an intimate video on university premises.

The institution, founded in 1972 and having graduated more than 11,000 undergraduate students throughout its history, bids farewell to one of the academics who held the most significant positions of responsibility in its classrooms and administrative structures.