The University of Pinar del Río "Hermanos Saíz Montes de Oca" announced this Thursday the passing of Dr. C. Jorge Candelario Milián Domínguez, a Chemistry professor at the institution, which occurred on the morning of the same day.
The mourning note published on Facebook by UPR described her passing as "a profound loss for our university and for all who shared in her professional and personal life."
The institution described him as a "distinguished chemistry professor, with a valuable academic background and a strong commitment to the training of professionals," and emphasized that he was a "staunch advocate of agronomy and agroecology," with a teaching legacy that made a significant impact at the El Algarrobo farm.
Affectionately known as "Jorgito" or "el quimiquito" by generations of students and colleagues, Professor Milián Domínguez accumulated decades of work at various levels of the Cuban educational system.
His career, according to the hundreds of comments from former students and colleagues, included significant milestones in pre-university education: he was a teacher at the Pre-military institution located in the teacher training center "Tania la guerrillera" and, in the early 1990s, at Pre No. 6 "Combate de Tumbas de Estorino." He also taught classes at IPUEC #6, where his students gave him a nickname that would follow him for life.
A former colleague who knew him during those years recalled him this way: "A real Man, a role model inside and outside the Center. A true master."
Later on, the professor went to the Provincial Department of Education in the Technical and Vocational Education division and completed his career at the University of Pinar del Río, where he also served as a thesis advisor. A former student described him as "an excellent Chemistry professor [...] a great man with a beautiful heart," remembering that he was her thesis supervisor.
The El Algarrobo farm, a space to which the professor dedicated special attention, served as a Teaching Unit for students of Forestry and Agronomy. A former teacher who took her students there remembered him as "a very good person" and expressed deep sorrow over his loss.
Another internet user who knew him during the "Pre-military" program recalled his seriousness and professionalism: "He was very serious about his work and very professional. I remember well when we received the career assignments; he was very concerned about the students who were taking the intensive twelfth-grade course after military service."
The passing of Dr. Milián Domínguez adds to other significant losses that UPR has experienced in 2026. Just days before, on Monday, the university had announced the death of engineer Elio Antonio Govea Rodríguez, an Assistant Professor and foundational figure in the Industrial Engineering program, who died in a traffic accident. In May, the institution also lost Dr. Mayra Carmona González, former dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences.
This chain of losses occurs at a critical moment for Cuban education. The 2026-2027 academic year started with over 20,000 teaching positions unfilled across the country, exacerbated by the exodus of teachers due to ridiculously low salaries, blackouts, and widespread scarcity. The Ministry of Education managed to slightly increase the teaching coverage by resorting to retirees, university students, and professionals from other sectors; however, the gaps have not stopped.
The UPR concluded its note of mourning with a collective promise: "Rest in peace, dear professor. Your legacy will always remain among us."
The information did not specify the cause of death of the professor, nor the details of the funeral services.
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