Government and ASEAN University Network Hold International Conference on Quality Assurance and Academic Excellence
The Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, presided over the opening ceremony of the International Conference of the ASEAN University Network (AUN), held on March 18th, 2025, in Dili. 
The event, on the theme of “Quality Assurance and Academic Excellence in Timor-Leste”, was organized by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Culture, led by José Honório, in collaboration with the Vice-Minister for ASEAN Affairs, Milena Maria da Costa Rangel. The conference brought together ten international experts from ASEAN member countries, with the aim of supporting Timor-Leste in strengthening higher education and recognizing academic qualifications. 
In his opening speech, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of human resource qualifications for the country's sustainable development. “If we want to contribute to proper development, we have to ensure that our human resources are highly qualified,” he said. The Head of Government also stressed that the higher education sector must play a decisive role in training national students, providing them with the necessary tools to compete in the national, regional and international job market. 
The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Culture, José Honório, thanked the Prime Minister for his commitment to enhancing higher education and reinforced the importance of the partnership with the ASEAN University Network in raising academic quality standards in Timor-Leste. “We believe that this cooperation will contribute significantly to the improvement of our higher education institutions, alingning them i with international standards,” he said. 
The conference brought together Rectors and Vice-Rectors of Timorese higher education institutions, representatives of the National Agency for Academic Assessment and Accreditation (ANAAA) and the National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT), as well as other experts in the sector. The meeting allowed for the exchange of experiences and the discussion of strategies to strengthen the quality of higher education in the country and promote the recognition of Timorese academic qualifications at international level. 
In the context of Timor-Leste's full membership of ASEAN, the strengthening of academic institutions is especially important in order to keep up with national, regional and global challenges. In this sense, this conference provided a space for sharing knowledge and strengthening cooperation with universities in the region.
