DILI, 05 October 2025 (TATOLI) – The University of Minho (UMinho) will award an Honorary Doctorate to José Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, on October 7 in Braga, Portugal.
The ceremony will take place at 11:00 a.m. in the Medieval Hall of the Rectorate, at Largo do Paço, and will be livestreamed on UMinho’s YouTube channel.
After the academic procession, Professor Luís Aguiar-Conraria will give the welcoming remarks, followed by the “elogio ao candidato” by Professor Isabel Estrada Carvalhais, both from the School of Economics, Management and Political Science.
“Ramos-Horta will receive the title Doctor Honoris Causa in Political Science and International Relations for his role in defending human rights and the self-determination of peoples, as well as his extraordinary contribution to independence, peace, and democracy in Timor-Leste,” UMinho said in a statement.
After receiving the distinction, Ramos-Horta will deliver a speech, followed by remarks from UMinho Rector Rui Vieira de Castro and the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The ceremony will conclude at 1:00 p.m. with a reception in the Rectorate’s Grand Hall.
On the same day, Ramos-Horta will meet with Timorese students at UMinho. A day earlier, he will deliver a public lecture at the university’s Gualtar campus in Braga.
This will be the 23rd Honorary Doctorate awarded by UMinho. Previous recipients include Hans Flasche, Joaquim Chissano, Nuno Portas, Frei Bento Domingues, Gene Grossman, and Alain Aspect.
TATOLI
