DILI, 18 August 2025 (TATOLI) – The National Commission of Timor-Leste for UNESCO (KNTLU – Tetun), in collaboration with the National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT – acronym in Portuguese), organized a national scientific ethics training under the theme “Timor-Leste Research Ethics Committee (REC) Training.”
The five-day training, held from August 18 to 22, was facilitated by international expert Professor Zabta Shinwari from Pakistan, who served as the keynote speaker.
Throughout the program, participants engaged in sessions and simulations covering ethics in the social sciences, technology, and exact sciences; the roles and responsibilities of Research Ethics Committees (RECs); review standards and standard operating procedures (SOPs); and the protection of vulnerable groups.
Additional topics included informed consent, case studies, ethical hearing simulations, the development of Terms of Reference (ToR) for RECs, and institutional commitments to sustaining ethical research practices.
The initiative aimed to strengthen the understanding and capacity of researchers, lecturers, and higher education leaders in Timor-Leste to apply ethical principles across all stages of the research process.
During the opening ceremony, Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Culture, José Honório da Costa Pereira Jerónimo, emphasized the importance of ethics training in raising awareness and responsibility among researchers, lecturers, and educators in Timor-Leste.
“Training like this is extremely valuable, as our research often overlooks scientific ethics. INCT views ethics as a critical component of research quality,” Minister Honório said.
The training brought together 50 participants from 19 higher education institutions and represented a strategic effort to strengthen both institutional and individual capacity in ensuring research quality and accountability in Timor-Leste.
INCT Executive Director José Cornélio Guterres stated that the training was designed to equip academics and researchers with strong ethical foundations, particularly in the areas of policy, technological innovation, and the social sciences.
“Research ethics must be an integral part of every scientific process. We need a deep understanding not only to generate data, but also to uphold human values and social responsibility,” Cornélio explained.
KNTLU Vice President Clementino Pinto Amaral noted that the training received support from UNESCO Paris, which facilitated the participation of the international expert from Pakistan.
“This proposal originated from INCT, and we submitted it to UNESCO Paris to request expert support from Pakistan. The total budget allocated is $20,000, divided between the research ethics training program and the climate change program to be implemented by KNTLU,” Clementino revealed.
Journalist : Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Rafael Ximenes de A. Belo
