DILI, 29 september 2021 (TATOLI) – The Center for Arts and Cultural Studies (CECA) of the National University of Timor-Lorosa’e (UNTL) realized a two-day international colloquium to foster scientific research in the area of education, science, and culture.
“Timor-Leste needs to promote its academic scientific research. Through such scientific event, the academicians will have chances to share information and knowledge on science, culture, arts, and education,” Paulino Vicente, the Director of the Center for Arts and Cultural Studies (CECA) told reports after the opening ceremony of the international colloquium, at the auditorium of the faculty of education, arts, and humanities at UNTL, in Dili, today.
Paulino said many topics would be covered during the two-day international colloquium – Communication and media, culture, linguistics, curriculum, environment, and so on.
“Timor-Leste’s culture is varied and several publications had been focused on Timorese traditions, such as traditional houses, Sau Batar ceremony, Tara Bandu, etc. Culture is fluid rather than static, which means that culture changes all the time, every day, in subtle and tangible ways. So, each researcher develops their research topics based on reality in Timor-Leste,” said Paulino.
He said the outcomes of the research would become references and inputs for the government to consider in its national development policy.
“All of the presentations during the two-day international colloquium would be publish in a book, and hoping that the government members would read it as a reference to see what the government and the society could do,” he said.
Paulino said UNTL had published several books recently, including ‘Tradiçoes Orais de Timor-Leste’, ‘Olhares Sobre Narrativas de Timor-Leste, etc.
At the same place, the Rector of the UNTL, João Martins thanked CECA for realizing the international colloquium.
“Such a scientific event is important to explore more about the science, education, and culture. We need to undertake scientific studies particularly in the area of culture. As we know that our parents and the elders are getting older and older. And we need to undertake arts and cultural research to know the traditions of our ancestors,” said Martins.
Martins encouraged CECA to continue realizing the same activity in the future to improve scientific research at UNTL.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
