DILI, 20 May 2025 (TATOLI) – In a bold vision for cross-border cooperation, President of the Republic, José Ramos Horta has proposed the creation of a high-quality technical institution — the Timor Island International University — at the land border between Timor-Leste and Indonesia.
“Today, I take this opportunity to publicly propose a new era of cooperation between Timor-Leste, Indonesia in general, and the Province of NTT in particular,” Horta said during his remarks at the 23rd Anniversary of the Restoration of Independence, held today at the Presidential Palace in Dili. “I propose the creation of a high-quality Technical University that spans at our shared land border — a University Campus with faculties, buildings, and facilities jointly managed by both our countries on both sides of the border.”
He said the university would focus on the Green and Blue Economies, with a curriculum delivered in the official language of ASEAN, English, and oriented toward science and technology, digitalization, AI, agriculture, water resource management, renewable energy, environment, and entrepreneurship.
“A university that we could call ‘Timor Island International University,’ co-financed by the Timorese and Indonesian Governments, with the participation of selected universities from both countries, and supported by foreign partners who wish to join this initiative,” Horta explained.
As part of his proposal, Horta also asked the Indonesian authorities to ease restrictions on student mobility. He specifically requested the automatic issuance of student visas (KITAS) valid for the full duration of studies — Bachelor’s, Undergraduate, Master’s, or Doctorate — up to five years, instead of the current requirement for annual renewal.
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