Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), known for its inclusivity, especially toward international students, has initiated educational collaboration and promoted its international undergraduate and postgraduate programs at the Indonesian Embassy in Timor Leste.
The partnership visit, which took place from Nov. 21 to 24, was led by Professor Wening Udasmoro, UGM’s Vice Rector for Education and Teaching.
She was accompanied by the Heads of the Admissions and Educational Development Subdirectorates and representatives from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing.
The visit began with a meeting between UGM delegates and key Timor Leste officials, including the Second Deputy Prime Minister Mariano Assanami Sabino Lopes, Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Culture Jose Honorio da Costa Geronimo, and Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Dulce de Jesus Soares.
Discussions revealed potential collaborations in establishing academic programs in agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, forestry, tourism, engineering, and marine biology.
Mariano Assanami Sabino Lopes highlighted Timor Leste’s challenges due to limited human resources, emphasizing that education remains a top priority alongside agriculture, forestry, and animal husbandry.
Similarly, Jose Honorio da Costa Geronimo noted that Timor Leste struggles with the limited quantity and quality of its human resources, which hinders the establishment of master’s programs.
Professor Udasmoro responded to the strong interest in UGM by proposing educational opportunities for lecturers from Timor Leste.
The visit aims to facilitate Timor Leste academics’ pursuit of doctoral programs at UGM by increasing partial and full scholarships and simplifying the admission process.
“We hope this visit opens more opportunities for prospective students and lecturers from Timor Leste to study at UGM,” she said.
Acknowledging Timor Leste lecturers’ low publication rates, Professor Udasmoro encouraged them to use UGM’s nationally accredited Sinta journals for their research.
“I hope this motivates lecturers to actively engage in research and publish their findings in scientific journals,” she added.
The second day of the visit included outreach to over 500 high school students in Timor Leste to introduce UGM’s undergraduate and applied bachelor’s programs.
Professor Udasmoro presented UGM’s international programs, benefits, campus facilities, and the opportunity for double-degree or joint-degree programs with partner universities abroad.
On the third day, UGM introduced its postgraduate programs to 200 participants, emphasizing scholarship opportunities. The participants showed enthusiasm, asking questions about postgraduate admission procedures and requirements.
The visit concluded with a meeting between the UGM delegation and UGM alumni in Timor Leste.
Discussions included plans to establish KAGAMA Timor Leste, the alumni association, and opportunities for alumni to contribute as examiners for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral theses at UGM.
This visit to Timor Leste followed UGM’s earlier international outreach to Myanmar in early November. The Indonesian Embassy in Dili, represented by Police G. Mikel da Costa, welcomed UGM’s efforts to promote its academic programs.
“This visit not only strengthens collaboration between UGM and Timor Leste in the tri-dharma mission but also serves as a model for other institutions,” Costa remarked.
Reportage: Bernadetha Diah Listianingsih
Author: Triya Andriyani