DILI, 05 August 2025 (TATOLI) – The President of the Republic, Jose Ramos-Horta, spoke on Tuesday at a seminar on Artificial Intelligence held at the Presidential Palace, reaffirming his long-standing commitment to preparing Timor-Leste for the challenges and opportunities of the digital age.
Before an audience of academics and students, the Head of State recalled his pioneering involvement in the topic, which began in 2018, framing Artificial Intelligence as the “fourth industrial revolution.”
In the same context, he formally introduced his distinguished guest, Ekaterina Zagladina, President of the Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, highlighting her fundamental role in promoting global dialogue and building strategic partnerships with Timor-Leste.
In a major announcement, the President revealed that Timor-Leste will host a historic Nobel Summit in 2026, an initiative led by the Presidency of the Republic in close collaboration with the organization represented by Zagladina. The event will bring together not only Nobel Peace Prize laureates but also distinguished winners from other scientific fields. The goal is to position Timor-Leste as an emerging center for international thought on science, technology, and human development, building on the President’s ongoing efforts to connect the nation with global thought leaders.
Ramos-Horta stressed that this summit is part of a broader strategy for Timor-Leste’s international projection and for bringing it closer to global centers of knowledge, with a direct impact on the nation’s youth and academic sector. Recalling a previous event that resulted in a Nobel Peace laureate offering two PhD scholarships to Timorese students, the President emphasized the importance of deep and focused interactions over large, generic conferences.
The ultimate goal, he concluded, is to empower Timor-Leste’s academics and students with the knowledge and networks needed to navigate the future and harness advanced technology for national development.
TATOLI
