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Assessment of the Achievements and Failings of the Cuban Revolution. Does it remain an Inspiration?

An IntroductionBefore we can dwell upon the very significant Cuban revolution we need to grasp the idea of a ’revolution’ itself. There are times when it's necessary to fight against things that have become so wrong that they should no longer be. Things that were once small have become big, but are no less wrong, must be made small again; a revolution, or a complete circle, is needed. Whether you want freedom from another country, or you want to overthrow an oppressive government, every fight is the same. A revolution (from the Latin revolutio, "a turnaround") is a significant change that usually occurs in a short period of time. Revolutions have happened throughout human history and vary widely in terms of methods, duration, motivating ideology, and the number of participating revolutionaries. Their results include major changes in culture, economy, and socio-political institutions. Economists argue that revolutions have a major impact on the world economy since we are living in a ‘Global Village’, instability of any magnitude in any one country, irrespective of its economical stature, is bound to have certain repercussions on the world economy. Again, this is just one piece of the puzzle, several other less prominent factors are at play during a country wide revolution consequently bringing other ramifications that might and might not be in the favor of the public and at large the world.

A Revolution in a Nutshell 

 Knowledge of the Goal. One dedicates their life to this goal. Decision is made well and from the heart. A good question arises, “What about the political system in which one lives, what flaws are highlighted? And what kind of system does one want to create for the people of that country?” The goal of the revolution forms its heart.

 Build Support and Consensus: Nothing happens if the only rebels are a small group of people. This is an important step and the setup for either a successful revolution or a small civilian rebellion flop. For the first part of this step one builds support by handing out flyers and pamphlets, by word of mouth and advertisements and through today’s technology. Everything that is done to get the word out of the revolution and build support. Once cultivated, support doesn’t meet together or agree on actions or even know each other, but they are united under a common goal and shared fundamental principles. This forms the principal uniting factor.

 Awareness about the Revolution. Knowledge about what and why this fight must happen and how it can be won is crucial for the cause. Identifying the goals and the most efficient means of achieving them without compromise is the primary target. Appreciation and respect for a diversity of tactics directs the revolution towards making things better. This is what is called a "positive vector".

 One of the most important aspects of a revolution is that the people are angry. However, the cause for anger ought to be of true convictions, and in their anger there must also be discipline to their cause.

 Intentions which are very popular among the population are put together. It aims towards the improvement of certain aspects of society, economics, culture, or any other aspects of a social group. Again appreciation and respect for a diversity of tactics comes into play. As Egypt has shown us, the devil can be in the details, here -- and one’s revolution can easily be co-opted. This is recognized as a sign that the idea was popular enough to attract attention, and preparation to overcome attempted splintering is done.

 Like-minded people are tracked who are ready for action. Field of communication is set. Non-hierarchical principal is followed where all voices are equally heard. If a small group is dedicated to the same cause, it is useful for someone to serve as a front woman/man; these are humble people and they must not be identified as "the leader" or "the leaders," but as individuals chosen because they reflect consensus.

 Finally action is taken. This is the most important step because the revolution dies without it. Action is taken whether it is a nonviolent protest or a sit-in or a boycott. The leader motivates the support and dutifully works day and night to improve the Revolution. The power in place defends itself, for that is the nature of power. Illegitimate "governments" are not happy about a rebellion from their people and will do anything to crush resistance. Armed struggle is not an option. No matter how well armed or trained the revolutionists are, they cannot withstand an organized country's military - especially if a superpower and its allies are backing the regime in place. For the success of the movement the revolutionists do not give up. Often they are discouraged by loss or lack of morale but many other countries have revolted and after several losses still have still overcame overwhelming adversity. The goal is the heart of the operation, the consensus is the mind of the revolution, and the actions are the hands of the revolution.

 Work for collective liberation is done, because everyone's liberation is tied to each other's. If they are going to be free, they all need to be free. If they are to have a voice, all must have a voice.

 The popularity of the movement to the people of power, legislature, and military is demonstrated. The greater the popularity among the society, the more the likelihood of violent repression is reduced.

 A drastic political or social revolution is almost always about freedom. In general, revolutions are about major changes in some aspect of society. A peaceful revolution requires solidarity and agreement.

A New Chapter in Cuba – Revolution 

The Causes Primarily Cuba had a very brutal and oppressive dictatorship. Fulgencio Batista had been Cuba's leader for most of the time since coming to power in a military coup in 1933. He remained a dictator until 1940 when he officially became an elected president. The election was not a fair one, but Batista honored the notion of democracy when he was defeated in the 1944 election, and peacefully handed power over to his opponents. He had close ties to US businesses (and is suspected to have had close ties to organized crime, just like in Godfather Part 2). In 1951 he entered the race to become President again, but when an opinion poll showed him in last place he staged a second coup and seized power again. After the 1952 coup Batista faced massive public disapproval and civil disobedience, including a rebellion lead by Fidel Castro which was crushed. The US had many ties to Cuba, which legalized gambling in an attempt to woo American tourism. Prostitution also became very common. Cuba experienced massive widespread poverty because Batista placed all the country's resources into providing holidays for the rich Americans he did business with. He declared an election in 1954, but with himself as the only legal candidate the consequences were inevitable. Student protests and street riots followed and became rampant. Batista held power only with the aid of an army that many suspect was financed by America.

Sequence of Events 

The revolution began in 1952, when former army Sergeant Fulgencio Batista seized power during a hotly contested election. Batista had been president from 1940-1944 and ran for president in 1952. When it became apparent that he would lose, he seized power before the elections, which were cancelled. Many people in Cuba were disgusted by his power grab, preferring Cuba’s democracy, as flawed as it was. One such person was rising political star Fidel Castro, who would likely have won a seat in Congress had the 1952 elections taken place. Castro immediately began plotting Batista’s downfall. On the morning of July 26, 1953, Castro made his move. For a revolution to succeed, he needed weapons, and he selected the isolated Moncada barracks as his target. 138 men attacked the compound at dawn: it was hoped that the element of surprise would make up for the rebels’ lack of numbers and arms. The attack was a fiasco almost from the start and the rebels were routed after a firefight that lasted a few hours. Many were captured. Nineteen federal soldiers were killed, and the remaining ones took out their anger on captured rebels and most of them were shot. Fidel and Raul Castro escaped, but were captured later. On the morning of July 26, 1953, Castro made his move. For a revolution to succeed, he needed weapons, and he selected the isolated Moncada barracks as his target. 138 men attacked the compound at dawn: it was hoped that the element of surprise would make up for the rebels’ lack of numbers and arms. The attack was a fiasco almost from the start and the rebels were routed after a firefight that lasted a few hours. Many were captured. Nineteen federal soldiers were killed, and the remaining ones took out their anger on captured rebels and most of them were shot. Fidel and Raul Castro escaped, but were captured later.

 “History Will Absolve Me” 

Castros and surviving rebels were put on public trial. Fidel, a trained lawyer, turned the tables on the Batista dictatorship by making the trial about the power grab. Basically, his argument was that as a loyal Cuban, he had taken up arms against the dictatorship because it was his civic duty. He made long speeches and the government belatedly tried to shut him up by claiming he was too ill to attend his own trial. His most famous quote from the trial was “History will absolve me.” He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison, but had become a nationally recognized figure and a hero to many poor Cubans.  Mexico and the Granma In May of 1955 the Batista government, bending to international pressure to reform, released many political prisoners, including those who had taken part in the Moncada assault. Fidel and Raul Castro went to Mexico to regroup and plan the next step in the revolution. There they met up with many disaffected Cuban exiles who joined the new “26th of July Movement,” named after the date of the Moncada assault. Among the new recruits were charismatic Cuban exile Camilo Cienfuegos and Argentine doctor Ernesto “Ché” Guevara. In November, 1956, 82 men crowded onto the tiny yacht Granma and set sail for Cuba and revolution.  In the Highlands Batista’s men had learned of the returning rebels and ambushed them: Fidel and Raul made it into the wooded central highlands with only a handful of survivors from Mexico; Cienfuegos and Guevara were among them. In the impenetrable highlands the rebels regrouped, attracting new members, collecting weapons and staging guerrilla attacks on military targets. Try as he might, Batista could not root them out. The leaders of the revolution permitted foreign journalists to visit and interviews with them were published around the world. 

 The Movement Gains Strength 

As the July 26th movement gained power in the mountains, other rebel groups took up the fight as well. In the cities, rebel groups loosely allied with Castro carried out hit-and-run attacks and nearly succeeded in assassinating Batista. Batista decided on a bold move: he sent a large portion of his army into the highlands in the summer of 1958 to try and flush out Castro once and for all. The move backfired: the nimble rebels carried out guerrilla attacks on the soldiers, many of whom switched sides or deserted. By the end of 1958 Castro was ready to deliver the knockout punch. 

 Castro Tightens the Noose 

In late 1958 Castro divided his forces, sending Cienfuegos and Guevara into the plains with small armies: Castro followed them with the remaining rebels. The rebels captured towns and villages along the way, where they were greeted as liberators. Cienfuegos captured the small garrison at Yaguajay on December 30. Defying the odds, Guevara and 300 weary rebels defeated a much larger force at the city of Santa Clara on December 28-30, capturing valuable munitions in the process. Meanwhile, government officials were negotiating with Castro, trying to salvage the situation and halt the bloodshed. 

 Victory for the Revolution 

Batista and his inner circle, seeing that Castro’s victory was inevitable, took what loot they could gather up and fled. Batista authorized some of his subordinates to deal with Castro and the rebels. The people of Cuba took to the streets, joyfully greeting the rebels. Cienfuegos and Guevara and their men entered Havana on January 2nd and disarmed the remaining military installations. Castro made his way into Havana slowly, pausing in every town, city and village along the way to give speeches to the cheering crowds, finally entering Havana on January 9. 

Summery, Aftermath & Legacy

So briefly the Cuban Revolution was an insurgence led by Fidel Castro against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista from 1953 to 1959. Castro’s forces adapted the guerrilla strategies to circumvent the Batista’s military forces. The revolution altered the capitalist state of Cuba to a left-wing communist one. This was achieved through a series of skirmishes between Fidel Castro’s guerrilla forces and Batista’s army; with the revolutionaries coming out as the victors of the revolution and Castro emerging as the new Prime Minister of Cuba. In 1960, Castro’s decision to industrialize all foreign-owned property in Cuba vexed the bond between US and Cuba. The US rebutted to these reforms by imposing an economic embargo on the Cuban government in the same year. This served as a milestone in the crisis-laden Cuban history that was to follow and the bitterness that proliferated between the two nations. The social and economic devastation resulting from this embargo ended up causing disdain among the supporters of the once-inspirational Cuban revolution and, with it, of the idea of a Communist-Marxist state. Although the Cuban Revolution achieved unprecedented advancement in developing health care, infrastructure and education, and in battling against social inequality, however, its failure to sustain its inspiration is marked by the long-term economic crisis, human rights violation and the gradual restoration of capitalism.

 Economic Repercussions

One of the primal reasons for the failure of the revolution is the perpetual economic stagnation that Cuba has been undergoing to date. This started with the introduction of the agrarian reforms of 1959; which redistributed lands between peasants and confined landholdings per owner (Quirk, Robert, Fidel Castro, pg. 280). This had an adverse effect of alienating the middle-class landowners; an aftermath that was not anticipated by Fidel Castro. Then the industrialization of foreign-owned lands, in 1960, put the patience of US and the middle-class of Cuba to a test. Fidel’s indifference to consolidate the middle-class demands led to a massive 700,000 middle-class Cubans, with mostly doctors, engineers and other professionals, fleeing to Florida (Arnold 171). The US, thus, decreed a trade embargo on the Cuban government in 1960. This, combined with the mass exodus of thousands of middle-class Cubans to the US earlier, rendered the decline in the Cuban economy inevitable. “…the Cuban economy was dominated by American business interests, dependent on the USA for investment, tourists and a market for its main crop, sugar” (Arnold 171). The ravaging effect of the trade blockade and the large-scale immigration of middle-class Cubans can be seen as how eagerly Fidel Castro re-oriented Cuban economy towards the Soviet bloc. It also shows how heavily dependent was the Cuban trade on US and how crippled Cuban economy became after the blockade. “…the average rural worker earned only $91 a year” while the Americans “owned 75 per cent of the arable land and controlled 90 per cent of essential services and 40 per cent of sugar production” (Arnold 170). Therefore, Cuba formed close ties with USSR in the following years but it was only in 1980 that the Cuban economy was troubled after sugar prices went down. Now the Cuban economy relied mostly on petty commodity production, tourism, prostitution and informal economy; black market and grey market (Konrad 1). The economic regression deepened further by the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 so this meant a 90 per cent drop in the trade and commerce of the state and an end to all the special favors for Cuba from the Soviet bloc, be it military or monetary (Mujal-Leon 151). The economic decay was accompanied by swelling social inequality contributed largely by the “de-penalization of the possession of dollars in 1993, re-opening of free peasant markets in 1994, and authorization of foreign investments in 1995” (Konrad 1). Thus, the revolution failed to propagate the egalitarian ideas it once stood for due to miscalculations in the fight against world market and US imperialism.

 Social Downturns

Although the foundations of the Cuban Revolution may have been laid down by the notions of social egalitarianism and leftism in the Cuban society, however, the prevalent abuse of human rights under the reign of Fidel Castro suggests quite the contrary. Cuba has, to date, maintained its status as a socialist State by suppressing the voices of the dissidents. This was ensured by the censorship of Media or by Fidel Castro’s extra-judicial influence on the state. Counter-revolutionaries were indicted of treason and any other seditious activities that endangered the existence of a socialist state in Cuba were silenced by the government. The freedom of Press, Radio, Television and Films was circumscribed so that they didn’t go beyond the goals of the socialist state. Also, there were regulations on the academic freedom which promoted communist training and Marxism (Impediments to Human Rights in Cuban Law (Part 3). In addition, there were restrictions inflicted on emigration, in 1961, in response to the mass exodus of the Cubans, mostly middle-class, to the US after the revolution. In 1980, “Cuban government lifted emigration restrictions and huge numbers of Cubans immediately fled the country and went to the USA or Peru to seek refuge” (Arnold 592). This example precisely illustrates the subjugation of the Cubans and renders them captives rather than citizens of a socialist-classless society. According to the UN Statistical Yearbook, in 1950s, the Cubans enjoyed a total of 58 daily newspapers; which shrunk to a total of 17 by 1994 which, too, remained under government control (Smith and Llorens 256). The Cuban Law, as a whole, is marked by unjust trials, arbitrary imprisonment and extrajudicial executions. Cuba’s failure to modify its laws to conform to the human rights and its unrelenting prosecution of peaceful activists subjects the role that Cuban law plays in its machinery of repression (Impediments to Human Rights in Cuban Law (Part 3). Therefore, the revolution which carried principles of Marti and Marxism as its rallying cry; and advocated against institutionalized violence and other forms of exploitations of the bourgeoisie, now seems to renege on its primary goals by oppressing the proletariat by constraining their freedom and human rights.

 Socialism or Capitalism?

Cuba’s gradual capitalization due to an alarming degree of bureaucratization blemishes the exalted standing of the Cuban Revolution as a socialist; classless and egalitarian revolution. The transition to capitalization would mean that the revolution has succumbed to the neo-liberal ideology and therefore deceived its true ideology of classlessness and social ownership of means of production. This slow transformation also means a welcome to reformism that was not originally promoted by the revolution. The social and economic pressure in Cuba after the disintegration of USSR in 1989 gave way to radical reforms being introduced in the 1990’s. For example; the de-penalization of the possession of dollar in 1993, after its prohibition in the penal codes of 1979 and 1987, opened the gates for the state to adopt further privatization in the future. This was achieved by the government’s decision in “issuing permits to engage in limited self-employment, re-opening farmers’ markets” and in “authorizing joint ventures with foreign investors” (Konrad 1). Now the revolutionary government became analogous to the Batista’s regime in terms of social stratification; which was a possible consequence of these reforms. The authorization of these pragmatic reforms also meant a breach into the ideology of socialism and a gradually perishing socialist state that Fidel Castro assiduously clung onto. From one point of view, the restoration of market relations might have become extremely essential for the revolution to thrive economically. From another, the restoration also traded off equity from the society in return. So the revolution now lost its inspirational value which, at one time, had agitated all of the Latin America as well as some African socialist groups overseas to overthrow capitalism. According to Evo Morales, the former President of Bolivia, on an interview with Spiegel, Fidel Castro is the “grandfather of all Latin American revolutionaries” (Spiegel interview with Bolivia's Evo Morales, 2006). However, this sentiment attached to the Cuban revolution in the many leftists of today has, somewhat shrunk due to the failure of the revolution in creating a Socialist utopia in Cuba. Hence, the “growing social inequality, widespread corruption and the continuing repression of dissidents have, for the most part, killed off the remaining vestiges of the left’s romance with Cuba” (Brociner 1).

Incentives

Despite the failings of the revolution, it did manage to achieve prodigious advancement into health care, education and infrastructure which was unheard of in Cuba before. During the Batista regime, there was only little development into health care and education within Cuba; which was stricken with poverty, food shortages and social inequality. Therefore, the Cuban people were in dire need of a change- a calling which can be assumed to be answered in form of the revolution. The revolution thus saw reforms that authorized free education and medical facilities to increase the standard of living for the Cubans. Medical facilities were nationalized and expanded on the whole island; universal children vaccination programs were organized which drastically decreased infant mortality rate of Cuba from 32 deaths per 1000 live births in 1957 to 10 deaths per 1000 live births in 1990-95 (Smith and Llorens 248). As a result, the average life expectancy has escalated to 78 years according to the World Health Organization, whereas it was just 58 years in 1959. Moreover, the revolutionary government adopted Cuba’s national hero, Jose Marti’s slogan “To be educated is to be free”. Thus, in 1960, a literacy campaign was set up which recruited 300,000 young Cubans to volunteer to teach the peasants and rural workers to read and write (Rock around the Blockade, 24). Consequently, literacy rate rose from 76 per cent in 1957 to a second highest in Latin America with a 96 per cent in 1990-95 (Smith and Llorens 249). The Cuban medical and educational services were not just confined to the state but also to other socialist states that required them. In an interview from the SPIEGEL, Evo Morales said that Fidel “has donated seven eye clinics and 20 basic hospitals. Cuban doctors have already performed 30,000 free cataract operations for Bolivians. Five thousand Bolivians from poor backgrounds are studying medicine at no charge in Cuba”. Cuban doctors were also sent in support to the left-wing socialist groups in Vietnam, Bolivia and Algeria which rose against capitalism. Besides the apparent expansion in health care and education sectors, Cuban government also implemented social schemes to develop infrastructure of Cuba. Social projects initiated in 1960 also saw great improvement in the construction of infrastructure; 600 miles of road were built with 300 million US dollars were used up for water and sanitation arrangements (Bourne 275-276). Therefore, the failings and deficiencies of the revolution should not carry us away from “acknowledging the many real accomplishments that it has achieved – especially in the fields of health and education” (Brociner 1).

Apart from the unequivocal progress into health care, infrastructure and education in Cuba, the abolition of racism, gender-discrimination and other forms of social stratification are one of the first and foremost achievements of the Cuban Revolution. In an attempt to achieve these ends, the revolution was given the face of a socialist one; a revolution which propagated the ideas of impartiality, classlessness, egalitarianism and a Communist Party which ensured that these ideas were put into effect. However, the true ideology behind the revolution was purely nationalistic which happened to be parallel with the ideology of socialism in the case of Cuba. 

Prior to the revolution, Cuba under the Batista’s capitalist regime was a victim of unfair division of wealth; with a majority of foreigners, Americans specifically, and a minority of wealthy local landowners, businessmen and merchants exploiting riches from the local poor. Fidel Castro took immediate measures to enforce equality; one of them being the Agrarian reforms of 1959. Now, the other way of looking at these Agrarian reforms, unlike mentioned above, can be how it destroyed the influence of the affluent landowners over Cuba’s agriculture and distributed the land equally between the poverty-stricken peasants (Quirk 280). The revolutionary government also ordained an increase in the wages of the local workers and a decrease in the housing rents as to compensate for the homelessness and poverty of the state (Quirk 234). Cuba’s stance against racism has always aroused great emotions overseas. Preceding the revolution, there was a significant per cent of Afro-Cuban population in Cuba which was down-trodden and targeted with discriminatory acts. Yet, with the advent of the revolution, racism was prohibited and discriminatory laws were vetoed. Not only did the revolution abolish racism inside Cuba but it also sent military support of 300,000 Cubans, from 1975 to 1988, to Angola in combatting the South African apartheid regime (Richards, 2008). By 2002, Women, who were widely engaged as domestic servants or prostitutes prior to the revolution, now constituted 62 per cent of college students and 65 per cent of the technical and professional workers in Cuba (Richards, 2008). So, to deprive the revolution of its hard-earned reputation in maintaining social equality will tantamount to holding a subjective judgment against the ideology of socialism.

The Cuban Revolution portrayed a whole new dimension of social ownership that the capitalist world has yet to discover, however, this picture of socialism was soon to falter when the revolution faced strong opposition. Its miraculously remarkable survival, to date, has expunged any illusions of the world about the capabilities of the Third World countries. The existence of an underdeveloped island which does not rely on capitalist mechanisms is a paradox itself. The trade blockade, frequent military attacks and assassination attempts at Fidel Castro by the US; to which the Cuban economy was dependent by 80 per cent before the revolution, further accrues to the phenomenal and inspirational value of the revolution. Perhaps the most important reason behind this continued existence is Cuba’s inclination towards promoting international solidarity, health care and education; in return receiving economic support from other Latin American countries that helped the revolution survive. In 1999, Hugo Chavez, former President of Venezuela, began to start providing an annual 3.5 billion dollars to Cuba especially since the revolution was undergoing its ‘Special Period’ of economic adversities and regression (Mujal-Leon 151). Then the perpetual allegations of US against the deprivation of human rights in Cuba raise questions; does the US blockade implemented on Cuba, which befits the definition of ‘genocidal’ under the Geneva Conventions and cost the island more than the equivalent of two Marshall Plans, not tantamount to repression of human rights? (Rock around the Blockade 36). However, the fact that there is human rights subjugation on the part of US does not make the repression of human rights in Cuba any less. Then the failure of the revolution to provide the population with better standard of living is marked by its extreme dependence on sugar. If only the economy is diversified, the unemployed will boost up the workforce and productivity along with the country’s output and standard of living (Smith and Llorens 256). In the long run, the struggle against imperialism has only been waning over the years; and the revolution has only been conforming to the capitalist mechanisms. So, one must not under-rate the failure of the revolution for not being able to deliver complete civil liberties and freedom to the Cubans; neither should it misjudge the failure of the revolution in abolishing social classes and in providing better standard of living to the population. Hence, the once-aspiring Cuban Revolution has met with a defeat by reneging on its true notions and no more remains the ‘beacon of hope’ for socialism due to its incessant yet fruitless struggle since its birth.

Conclusion

This brings us to the inherent question that whether the struggle for justified civil rights, greater degree of social freedom, transformation from capitalism to communism and a movement to embellish hope in the masses in Cuba a worthy and justified enough endeavor or was it just another wasted effort?

The answer that quenches this controversial question lies in the pages of history. History prevails as a great teacher and when we skim through it and observe the ages when man resorted to revolutionary approach to end the repressions conducted against him and stand up for what was rightfully his, we realize that struggle brought transformation, conviction granted freedom and that revolutionists were always deemed as paragons. ‘The last resort’ so they say was undertaken by men belonging to different eras and parts of the world under different circumstances yet the similarity lies in the fact that he was desperate and foolish enough to sacrifice everything to achieve freedom on every instance or was he?

When we analyze the Cuban Revolution from a utilitarian approach we can safely come to the conclusion that yes there was a set of setbacks and defects attached with the movement, however, the overall transformation brought about and the rekindling of hope in the public was a factor that outweighs all other and the negative impacts seems menial in its face. Also, something essential to take into account is the fact that a revolution although aimed to relieve the citizens of the suppression and tyranny of the rule, brings a complimentary product that being chaos. Most of the negative effects of a revolution are contributed to this chaos rampant in the country at the spur of the moment. By the principal that we follow we also encounter the question that was the revolution successful enough to provide a better socialistic environment in the country than the restricted one preceding it?

In terms of comparison done extensively above, the answer is clearly yes with the outlined reasons being quite obvious. There is an entity that man values more than particularly anything, strives for it and will go to any lengths to preserve it, that entity is freedom. When we realize that the Cuban revolution granted the Cubans the external freedom something that’s substantial for sustained survival and eventually grants a society the internal freedom, all the other factors become irrelevant and all the repercussions are overshadowed for a successful revolution is indeed which grants people the two forms of freedom; the external one, the freedom from an entity, in our case the dictatorship of Batista; the internal one, the freedom to do anything, be anywhere, be anyone and etc. And we have the making of a perfect ‘free man’!

We have ranked top 50 best engineering universities, colleges and schools. This list is compiled by our team of experts, professors and engineers using various resources available on internet, comments by students and recent graduates. Another important factor in this ranking is the “acceptance rate” for admission in engineering courses. Engineering Programs with low acceptance rate are ranked higher. Funding, placements, research and location were other deciding factors in compiling this list of top 50 engineering universities, colleges and schools.

We have tried our best to present these rankings very carefully based on facts and figures without any discrimination or favors. All visitors are advised to check details about engineering programs in these universities by visiting website of each college. We have judged all these world class universities across all of their core missions - teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

1.    Massachusetts Institute of Technology- United States
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is one of the best engineering and technical universities in the world. MIT is ranked # 1 by all ranking providing institutes and organizations since last many years. The institute has earned a name due to highly valuable research findings and projects carried out at this institute. Another reason for its staying at the top is the highly capable and world’s best faculty and teaching staff at the institute. In 150 years, MIT has produced more than 70 Nobel laureates, eight of whom are members of its current faculty. From its 168-acre Charles River campus, more than 10,000 students are instructed in architecture and planning; engineering; humanities, arts and social sciences; management; science; and health sciences and technology.
Website: http://www.mit.edu/

2.    California Institute of Technology- United States
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is 2nd best engineering institute in the world. On average, more than 98% of graduate students offered admission at Caltech are offered a package of merit-based financial support that pays all tuition charges and provides them with a stipend. Institute has earned its name due to research, citations and teaching staff. Caltech alumni include movie director Frank Capra, who graduated in 1918, but its 124-acre campus predates nearby Hollywood. More than 30 Caltech students have won Nobel prizes, and one alumnus - Harrison Schmitt - has walked on the Moon. Home to Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, it has a faculty of about 300 teaching around 2,000 students.
Website: http://www.caltech.edu/

3.    Princeton University- United States
Who does not know about Princeton University of United States? Princeton University has one of the lowest acceptance rate in country. Recently admitted students had over 550 on the GRE verbal portion and over 700 on the GRE quantitative portion with scores varying across departments and programs. At the heart of American academic life since its charter in 1746, Princeton is one of the smallest of the private Ivy Leaguers, but can boast more than 30 Nobel laureates among its past faculty and alumni. Its 500-acre campus accommodates around 5,000 undergraduates and 2,500 postgraduates overseen by more than 1,100 academics. University has earned its name by industry income, teaching staff and citations.
Website: http://www.princeton.edu/

4.    University of California, Berkeley- United States
UC Berkley goes at number 4th ranking in top best engineering colleges in the world. Over the past decade (2000-2009), the National Science Foundation awarded more Graduate Research Fellowships to UC Berkeley students than to those of any other university (MIT was 2nd; Stanford 3rd; Harvard 4th). Vitamin E was identified here, a lost Scarlatti opera found, the flu virus identified and America's first no-fault divorce law drafted. A gold-rush by-product, the university by San Francisco Bay was chartered in 1868. To date, more than 20 faculty members have become Nobel laureates. Today's student body consists of about 36,000 members, more than 10,000 of them postgraduates.
Website: http://www.berkeley.edu/

5.    Stanford University- United States
Next on the list of best engineering universities, colleges and schools is Stanford University. For Mechanical Engineers..The pay ranges for recent graduates from the undergraduate program in Mechanical Engineering is between $60,000 and $98,000, with a median salary of $74,483. Founded in 1891 by railway tycoon Leland Stanford in remembrance of his son, who died aged 16, Stanford is said to be, after Harvard, the US' most selective university, accepting around 7 per cent of applicants. Its alumni founded corporate giants including Hewlett-Packard and Google. The world's third-richest university, it teaches about 7,000 undergraduate and around 4,000 graduate students.
Website: http://www.stanford.edu/

6.    University of Cambridge- United Kingdom
University of Cambridge is ranked number 6 in the world and is situated in United Kingdom. Cambridge alumni loom large in the making of the modern world: Newton on laws and motion; Rutherford splitting the atom; Darwin on evolution; Turing's prototypical computer; Crick and Watson with DNA. Founded in 1209 by Oxford scholars who quit after a dispute with the local citizenry, Cambridge now employs more than 8,500 staff and has over 18,300 students.
Website: http://www.cam.ac.uk/

7.    University of Oxford- United Kingdom     
If we ask someone anywhere in the world to say the names of some best universities in the world. He will probably never forget to mention Oxford University. This is the name which has fixed in every mind. Twenty-six British prime ministers, at least 30 other world leaders, 12 saints and 20 archbishops of Canterbury have been Oxonians. Oxford virtually invented college life in the 13th century. The world's third-oldest surviving university offers approximately 12,000 undergraduates a choice of 38 colleges and six permanent private-residence halls.
Website: http://www.ox.ac.uk/

8.    University of California, Los Angeles- United States
University of California is ranked at position 8 among Top 50 Engineering Universities, Colleges, Schools. During the 2009-10 academic year, 52% of UCLA undergraduates received financial aid (including student and parent loans); average award was $17,008. Close to Hollywood and with a celebrated film and television school, UCLA is a cinematic magnet. Established in 1919, it has about 26,000 staff and around 38,500 students. A leader in college athletics, the institution comprises five undergraduate colleges, seven professional schools and five health science schools.
Website: http://www.ucla.edu/

9.    ETH Zürich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich– Switzerland
You don't have to be Albert Einstein to study here - every Swiss citizen who has sat the Matura (matriculation) is eligible - but it doesn't hurt. ETH Zurich (heir to the Federal Polytechnic Institute, set up in 1855) now teaches around 15,000 students in 16 faculties. Einstein received his diploma here in 1901. ETH Zürich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich is ranked among top 10 best engineering and technology institutes since last many years. It has maintained this rank due to high profile teaching staff, students, research projects and citations. It has one of the best international outlooks compared to other top 10 universities.
Website: http://www.ethz.ch/index_EN

10.    Imperial College London- United Kingdom
With an emphasis on research, Imperial has four faculties - medicine, natural science, engineering and business. Founded in 1907 as a constituent college of the University of London, it became independent in 2007. Its main campus in London's museum quarter and seven others house more than 1,200 scholars and around 13,000 students.
Website: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/

Other institutes in the list of top 50 best Engineering Universities, Colleges and Schools are as follows:

11.    Georgia Institute of Technology - United States     
12.    Carnegie Mellon University - United States     
13.    University of Texas at Austin - United States     
14.    University of Michigan - United States     
15.    Cornell University - United States     
16.    University of California, Santa Barbara - United States     
17.    University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign - United States     
18.    University of Toronto - Canada     
19.    National University of Singapore - Singapore     
20.    École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne - Switzerland     
21.    University of Tokyo - Japan     
22.    University of Wisconsin-Madison - United States     
23.    Delft University of Technology - Netherlands     
24.    University of California, San Diego - United States     
25.    University of Melbourne - Australia     
26.    University of Manchester - United Kingdom     
27.    University College London - United Kingdom     
28.    Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - Hong Kong     
29.    University of Minnesota - United States     
30.    École Polytechnique - France     
31.    Tsinghua University - China     
32.    University of California, Davis - United States     
33.    University of British Columbia - Canada     
34.    Pohang University of Science and Technology - Republic of Korea     
35.    University of Sydney - Australia     
36.    Pennsylvania State University - United States     
37.    The University of Hong Kong - Hong Kong     
38.    KU Leuven - Belgium     
39.    Purdue University - United States     
40.    Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology - Republic of Korea
41.    Rice University - United States     
42.    Ohio State University - United States     
43.    Technische Universität München - Germany     
44.    Peking University - China     
45.    Brown University - United States     
46.    University of Queensland Australia - Australia     
47.    McGill University - Canada
48.    Kyoto University - Japan
49.    University of Waterloo - Canada
50.    Nanyang Technological University - Singapore

Software engineering vs computer science – what is the difference? The discussion between Computer Science and Computer Software Engineering has been on the head from a long time now, with many professional yet to clearly distinguish between the two. One of front most distinction between the two lies that Computer Science being a very wide domain, inculcates within the studies of various knowledge domain with Software Engineering being one of it.

Computer Science incorporates the basic science of computing hardware and software, with a primary focus on study of theoretical foundations of computation and their implementation of different applications of the computer system. Software Engineering, on the other end combines the effect of computer science inquiry with engineering methodologies and practices. It helps in effective building of such system software that uses a rigorous engineering approach.

Software engineers tend to be prepared to conceive and prepare enhanced and complex software, important to the industry with a cost-efficient and quality solution in a productive manner. They focus on application of a quantifiable and systematic approach towards the development and operation of software using basic software development lifecycle methodologies. Whereas Computer Science, being the study of algorithmic processes and philosophy concerns the affect of the product being designed under Systems, Networking, Databases, Artificial Intelligence or Computation theory.

Software Engineering has its focus more inclined towards designing practices of engineering software using the Software Development Lifecycle process, rather than relying only on coding through various programming languages. It involves practicing of huge, consistent and economical software by the application of engineering.

Computer Science does not restrict an individual over the choice of profession he may wish to adopt. Being a broader field than Software Engineering, it allows a person to choose any line of his interest from Networking, Programming, Designing or developing hardware applications, primarily due to the nature of courses taught during the course of studies. A misperception prominent in the mind of many continues to be the fact that choosing Software Engineering as a profession only leads to being a Software Programmer and nothing else is left for such a person to do. However, after completion of courses a software engineer may go into Software architecture and design, Requirement analysis and specifications, Verification and Validation, Quality Assurance and many other Software engineering practices as being the need of time.

Despite of the above discussion, there exists not hard-and-fast rule about the nature of courses one studies and the type of job he does after that. It all depends on a person’s caliber and his interest as to where does he end up after concluding the studies. The bottom line remains the fact that both the disciplines are equally good and rewarding in the end.

These resume tips for engineers which I am going to mention here are compiled after a series of interviews with many experts in the field. I got a lot more appreciation from students about my article on "six tips for writing an effective engineering resume", so i thought i shall write another version with latest tips and techniques. Resumes are often the foremost step to let an employer know that you are the right candidate to be called upon for an interview. The biggest mistake the candidates usually make is to forward one ready-made resume sample to every employer, without editing it according to the job description. Each job has its own nature and a different necessitated skill set for which a single resume once made does not match, hence constituting in a non productive outcome. To ensure that your resume is not skimmed around but read thoroughly by the prospect employer, a resume should be properly furnished and well set as per the job detail and description stated by the employing body.

The statement of your objective is a clear indication to the employer about what you intend to accomplish and indirectly your worth to the company. A statement which should not be long enough then two lines must give the employer a heinous idea that you are the candidate he is looking forward to hire. It is highly imperative for a candidate to have a well prepared resume which is free of any grammatical or spelling mistakes as it constitute to a potent first impression. It should be cross checked through peer review to avoid any serious blunder and verbosity.

An engineering resume must vividly depict candidate’s blend of technical as well as managerial skills. To achieve the said goal, it is a good practice to add a technical and/or managerial summary of your areas of expertise under a skills section. You can always break this section into further subcategory for a rapid scan concerning the knowledge of programs and application you cognize well in.

If you are a fresh graduate right out of college or university, two of the most agile tools that you posses to get the eyes of the recruitment manager get stuck to are your academic projects and related work experience. Work experience which may come in the form of internships or any coursework projects done with the affiliation of an industry are weighed high while you apply for a certain post. A candidate must always mention the internships done with a brief description of what work was he/she involved and tools or software which made the project successful. Similarly if an industry collaborated project was undertaken, mention the industry title and the capacity with which it was done. Make sure to highlight the semester or coursework projects or assignments which were down that cope up well with the job requirement, because mostly the hiring managers look for a candidate’s aptitude which is judged by the projects he/she had been involved in as their aptitude determines their attitude leading to a roaring attitude. Avoid unnecessary details and remember to mention all the work in reverse chronological order, stating the latest job done at the top. Read my article on resume tips for recent graduates for more tips for fresh graduates.

Using magical words are developed, formulated, designed, enhanced efficiency, productiveness, monetary savings add more spark to your resume and are noted in the initial go. It gives the employer a sense of curiosity to know more about the person and ways from which company may exhibit productive shades from him. If the job you are applying for is not your first job, try writing about such assignments that made you stand out from the crowd, look around for the ways that helped you do jobs efficiently in low budget, since organizations always look for cost effective solutions which could result in maximum profit at their end.

Moreover, keep your resume positive and enthusiastic. It must represent what you actually are and what you did. I hope these resume tips for engineers will help many engineers in making their resumes look better. If you are looking for an example resume or sample format of engineer resume in pdf form, you can downlaod it from sample engineer resume and format.

How students can earn money? There are many engineering students out there in the world who are worried about how they can make money to pay for the expenses of their college fee and accommodation etc. After all engineering education is among one of the most expensive educational degree in the world. Even more expensive if you are studying at some private engineering school, college or university. Many students are always looking for scholarships to continue education and they really face hard times and many rejections in this process.

A few days back, while I was browsing different websites, I noticed an article titled: “How students can earn and make money” and I found it so much interesting and based on facts and reality that I wanted to share it with you guys here at Hello Engineers. This article is a genuine effort towards helping engineering students in earning some extra bucks and money for their education and living.

Idea which is proposed in this article works pretty well. Me and some of my friends are already earning huge profits working on this idea. Basic idea is to invest in online trading. You can start with as low as USD $20 as well. All you need to do is to create an account on this Forex Platform - Get up to $1,000 Free Bonus and start Trading!. Because you are not at all experienced in trading, so we recommend you to copy other traders in start. That means you will be copying some expert traders in start and you will be earning continues profits on daily basis from their trading activities. It costs you nothing to copy an expert trader.

Here’s a strategy you’ll like, It’s called Copy>Paste. Now, you can copy top traders’ success! The website provides you with complete training in start for FREE. You can start today and Get The First eCourse Lesson! For those who want to learn a little more about online trading and what it really is. In online trading, we buy and sell commodities (like Gold, Silver, Oil, Gas etc), Currency pairs and stock market shares and we earn profits from variation in prices over time. You see if you trade in Gold, its prices changes every minute.

As the article suggests, you don’t even need to have a credit card for this purpose. You can always use your bank account in any country to send and receive payments via Skrill.

I am quite hopeful that all engineering students will find this article quite helpful for them. I recommend you all to give it a try at-least for once. You will never regret your decision. It will definitely help you all in earning money and making a lot of it.

Engineer vs scientist - Difference between an engineer and a scientist - “I always wanted to be an engineer. And today as I see the magnificent artifacts that have been created by me I feel so lucky that I landed in a profession of my choice”. Well these are the words of a random person who happens to be an engineer by default. And believe me if he were a scientist, he would have said the same thing. And so the hot point is: we really never know what makes an engineer different from a scientist.

Ironically people differentiate scientists from engineers by the level of personality they own. Engineers are often regarded as cool people with highly paid jobs who have nothing to do in the world but to make all the important decisions. Scientists on the other hand are regarded as the hapless people who spend most of their lives with lab rats thinking over the issues that have nothing to do with a common man. This is the main reason most students want to take up engineering as the future profession although they never realize that engineering is a multifaceted endeavor and they will have no exposure towards it until the end of the high school. And this happens to be the most important reason that most people never realize that a scientist and an engineer are indeed very different with different aims and indeed different priorities.

Differentiating engineering from science is a matter of how we look at the two professions in the real world. An engineer’s priority should be to take up real world challenges and complete them in real time so that people may get the desired results and benefits. So in a way, we can regard that an engineer is closer to the common man than a scientist. It is just an opinion not a well established fact. A scientist on the other hand should have the insight to perceive the upcoming future. And that is the fun part. A scientist mostly lives in a virtual world full of random and abstract thoughts that combine to form a solution. An engineer on the other hand lives in a real world that we all can see and feel. And that is the main reason that most of the work done by the scientist does not become inevitable at once.

Engineers often argue that their job is more innovative than the job of an average scientist who has to live with a bunch of lab rats all day long doing nothing. Well this perception is absolutely wrong. Inevitably engineering is a very versatile profession but innovation is just a part of it. A scientist on the other hand lives merely on innovation. Working in a virtual world is no easy task which requires loads of innovation in store.

Sometimes it is very difficult to draw a clear boundary between the two professions. Both have contributed immensely towards the development of this world. And it would be true to say that both are the wheels of the same car. Instead of discriminating them, we should try to bridge the two professions so that the world can really see what happens behind the scenes. I hope this article gives you a good idea about difference between an engineer and a scientist.

What is the role and status of engineers in the society? Engineers are often perceived as the cool guys. People who have all the time in the world to work on the projects that will some day benefit us all. This belief is some what more common in the Asian countries where engineering happens to be a very respectable and highly ranked profession. Now this may sound rather unwelcoming to the readers, but it is a fact that engineering is not just confined to the walls of development and research. It has a deeper meaning that entails an engineer to certain responsibilities.

To save us some valuable time we can easily assume that an engineer's role is only to build new things that will benefit the society in the times to come. And so indirectly we are assuming that an engineer is merely a social servant whose sole aim is to serve the people that live around him. And this situation is not new to us. For years we have pondered over the status of engineers in the society. Inevitably the engineers have played an important role in the modernization and industrialization of our society. Even today they are perceived as neutral experts and are highly esteemed in many societies.  

But the role of an engineer is not over. The respect and fame which an engineer enjoys throughout his career come with certain responsibilities that can never be forsaken. People expect engineers to speak out when it comes to education. An engineer should be very keen to impart quality education to his country men. It doesn't mean that engineers should open schools but an engineer should look towards the ways that can make education better. There is a great reliance to solve education problems through technology and engineers should contribute to that technology to make things better in the field of education.

An engineer should work for the betterment of economy. Now some engineers often rule this theory out by considering it absurd. They say that an engineer is never related to economy. This is some thing that has been hard coded into many esteemed engineer books. Well approaching such arguments might need some technical low level details. An engineer is good with numbers with the economy of a country made up of numbers. It is just a mere thought that an engineer can be very good in economics if given provided proper instructions. So if engineers of today take active part in the world economy, they can do wonders; this idea is being endorsed globally now that engineers can be very good with the management skills. 

There continues to be no restriction to what engineers can do to make this society better. Engineers have always played an important role in all societies. Although we don't have many engineers as role models yet they enjoy a respectable position in our modern societies. The key point is that an engineer should understand well his/her role in the society and should strive to make this world a better place to live in.

Hence, the article reviews the status that engineers enjoy in our modern societies and the responsibilities that come with this status stating that how actually engineers can make this place a better place to live in.  

Why mechanical engineering is the mother of engineering and other departments. Because initially two engineering field only were founded in 18s century. They are military engineers and civil engineers. The military engineering is again classified into two types they are mechanical engineering and automobile engineering. But most of the subjects are depart from mechanical engineering only. Also the mechanical engineer will get more physical knowledge more than other engineers. Each innovation will need some mechanical part in it. Nobody can deny this truth. Being proud to be a mechanical Engineer.

Which engineering field or branch is the best to go into? Building up a career in the extremely lucrative and fascinating field called “engineering” is a challenging job. With the advancement of technologies various engineering fields are also developing fast. It is imperative to explore them since there are numerous branches such as information technology, computer science, and mechanical, civil, electrical and so on. As an engineering contender several fascinating branches of engineering exist which may be pursued. It’s essential to know the most appropriate specialization to choose based on appointment opportunities being offered. The top-rated best engineering fields and branches comprise of:

1) Computer Science Engineering
2) Mechanical
3) Electrical
4) IT and communications
5) Mathematics and computing
6) Electrical
7) Civil
8) Chemical
9) Manufacturing engineering
10) Aeronautical Engineering.

Almost every engineering field has some business aspect attached to it, plainly for the reason that you happen to be a company that delivers a product to a client. However, regardless of the fact to what extent your career choice appears to be non-business-related, at a particular level you will be dealing with quite a lot of business. So then which engineering field or branch is the best.

Electrical engineering calls for the top-most mathematical skills (Calculus, numerical analysis, Differential Equations, and so on). It also consists of a highly theoretical physics (clearly, because electrons are too small to spot). You need not worry; engineering is predominantly related to applications, and you don’t have much to do too much with theory. Electrical engineering comprises of electronics like programming, mobile phones, computers, communication systems, stereo systems or power transmission like power lines, power plants, substitute fuel sources and so forth). Electrical engineering is an incredibly wide, progressive field, but plenty of it comprises of highly advanced theoretical applications.

Mechanical Engineering focuses on whatever thing comprises of moving parts such as power generators, cars, factory lines, robots. It makes your scope much broader as compared to electrical engineering. Mechanical engineering is known to be more theoretical as compared to civil engineering; however the concepts are large enough to be grasped in your palms and be visualized. Mechanical engineering is tremendously enthralling and possesses plenty of opportunities. It’s one of the best fields in engineering without any doubts.

Aeronautical engineering is an exceptionally absorbing field.  It is an engineering branch dealing with designing, operation, construction and mechanism of airplane and spaceship.  Nowadays there is plenty of scope and enhancement in Aeronautical Engineering.  It is a vastly lucrative field which promises to offer professional development. An aeronautical engineer’s work is rather challenging.  In this inventive field of engineering an individual’s manual, technical skills as well as ability is tested.  To start a career in Aeronautical Engineering an individual has to have a B.E/B.Tech degree or no less than a diploma in aeronautics.  

Not many universities offer geological engineering specially and there aren’t too many experts. However, this serves as a great opportunity to excel in this field because the competition is little. Be conscious about the fact that the geological engineering is often thought to be a division of civil engineering (known as geo-tech), so you should not be taken aback if you fail to find many colleges offering degrees in “geological engineering”. A graduation in civil engineering with a focus on geo-tech mostly suffices.

I hope this article gives you a general idea and introduction about different branches of engineering and now you will be able to find that which branch of engineering is the best for you.

Do grades or CGPA really matter for engineering students? How much CGPA on average is good or required for a better job in future? These are different and mostly asked questions by engineering students about grades or CGPA. It goes a common saying during the college life that those getting higher GPA’s are deemed to get the best jobs right after graduation and with Steve Job’s statement of ‘Be nice to nerds, you might end up working for one’ adds more spark to the argument.

Study, study and just study is what everyone is told of during the whole tenure of engineering degree to the students. Many universities cut off their student’s social activities, intra university groups and sports, just for the fact that they do not deviate from the path they are supposed to adopt. There remains no doubt that studies remain an integral part of a student’s curriculum, with engineering being a filed requiring high level of observance and a purview requiring students to think out of the box for solution of complex problems. Education makes a person well versed with knowledge of subject, academics, formative effect of mind and physical ability of an individual.

However, Engineering clearly needs knowledge beyond the scope of books to a great extent, which a four-sided classroom may not be able to provide. While studying this domain, one has to have a horizon of how things happen to be in real world and simulation of the effect can be observed clearly with social activities happening around them. Education undoubtedly makes a person well versed with knowledge of subject, academics, formative effect of mind and physical ability of an individual.

Do grades or CGPA really matter for engineering students? It depends on what you want to do in future after completing your engineering degree. Do you want to do a job or do you wish to continue education? It continues to be a common myth over the years that higher the GPA you get out of college, a higher salary job will be looking your way. The statement is clearly misleading and should not be made a rule of thumb under any circumstance whatsoever. A good GPA does come in as criteria for initial screening at interviews where the recruitment managers get a number of resume from where they need to choose student to avoid the entry of a slouch personnel but there a number of other factors that constitute to your selection. Even if you are not good at scoring high Grade Point Average, and consider yourself to be a practical person fully equipped with pragmatic skills and an attractive work/internship experience, you can knock down your opponent and overshadow his chance of clinching the gold. GPA does come into account with a large extent while an undergraduate student applies for high education. Due to the ample amount of applications that graduate universities receive throughout the year from around the globe, usually a GPA cut off is made and a threshold is marked as an entry criteria. Even that could be beaten with the conditions of extracurricular excellence being at the top notch level.

A large number of industries do not bother to look at a student’s GPA or even their transcripts if the candidate is able to clear their assessment skills test and screening interview. With that being said, it is prudent to note that your educational institute’s label does count into account if your GPA score is not high along with projects and coursework assignments. It must be noted down that regardless of the job market, securing a GPA and concentrating on studies should always be a top priority for every student irrespective of what field he chose to adopt.