Timor Leste plugs into the right connections

Thanks to a UNESCO project, the only state university in Timor Leste is now connected to a regional ICT network. After a year of preparation, system installation, and training, with the support of UNESCO and the School on Internet (SOI) Asia, the National University of Timor Leste (UNTL) was linked up to the Regional Information and Communication Technology Network and the National Research and Education Network in July this year.

Timor Leste, the youngest and one of the least developed countries in the Asia-Pacific region, urgently needs to improve the capacity of its local human resources. The project team responded to this need by coordinating ICT networks in Asia to share knowledge and expertise with UNTL in developing and disseminating e-learning materials and tools, and in using existing educational and teaching materials for human resource development.

UNTL, which was known as UNTIM (Universitas Timor-Timur) between 1986 and 1998, is the only state university in Timor Leste. Located in the centre of the capital city of Dili, the university opened in November 2000, shortly after the country gained independence. It currently has a total of 15,000 registered students.

The survey undertaken by UNESCO and SOI Asia showed that UNTL possesses great human resources potential but lacks adequate facilities to build on this ability. The aim of the project is to improve the capacity building of UNTL students and lecturers by taking advantage of the opportunity to use the SOI Asia distance learning platform to share knowledge with all Asian universities and education institutions.

UNTL can now share knowledge with other Asian universities and education institutions by taking advantage of the distance learning platform of the SOI Asia Project and CONNECT-Asia (Collaboration for NetworkeNabled Education, Culture, Technology and science) partners.

SOI Asia Project utilizes satellite-based internet and digital technology for the development of higher education in Asian countries. The project has 27 universities and research institute partners in 13 countries across Asia and has deployed satellite earth stations at each partner site to share the distribution of live, as well as archived lectures.

Professor Keiko Okawa of Keio University, SOI Asia representative, said she was pleased to welcome UNTL as a new partner. The project is expected to provide more learning opportunities for UNTL students, faculty members, as well as the community close to the university. In addition, she said that it will not only provide a collaboration channel with other SOI Asia partners, but also start global collaborations with interested parties.

UNESCO is now planning to conduct a series of e-learning courses to accommodate the needs of staff and students at the Faculty of Engineering, UNTL. The project has been funded by UNESCO and the Government of Japan through the Japanese Funds-in-Trust.