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On October 5th, 2026, in Dili, the Ministry of Education initiated a series of meetings and working sessions with a delegation from the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) and the UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta to develop the new curriculum framework for Timor-Leste’s general senior secondary and vocational secondary education.
The SEAMEO delegation is led by Habibah Abdul Rahim, Director of the organisation’s Secretariat, who is in Dili to participate in joint work with the Ministry of Education and UNESCO on curriculum revision.
The Minister of Education, Dulce de Jesus Soares, received the delegation and emphasised that the senior secondary school curriculum reform aims to equip students with knowledge and skills tailored to current educational needs and to their future options, whether to continue to higher education or enter the workforce.
“Curriculum reform for senior secondary education is a priority for the Ministry of Education, particularly to equip students with relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies,” stated the Minister.
The work includes analysing the current state of senior secondary education and reform requirements and defining the guiding principles for the new curriculum framework. The process will consider Timor-Leste’s sociocultural, political, and economic reality, national identity, and international and regional educational standards, including those of ASEAN.
Planned focus areas include character building and citizenship, history, the natural sciences, the social sciences and humanities, mathematics, and technology. The new curriculum will also foster critical and analytical thinking and the development of digital skills.
The review of senior secondary education builds on the curriculum reform previously initiated in primary and secondary schools (Years 1–9). The new curriculum for Secondary School (Years 7–9) began implementation in Year 7 in 2026, will expand to Year 8 in 2027, and is scheduled for full implementation by 2028.
Under the partnership between the Ministry of Education, SEAMEO, and UNESCO, the team has already completed a preliminary document analysis. The current phase involves consultations with officials from the Ministry of Education, curriculum teams, school leaders, teachers, students, and higher education institutions.
The Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat, Habibah Abdul Rahim, affirmed that the organisation is committed to supporting the Ministry of Education in revising the general senior secondary school curriculum for Years 10, 11, and 12.
“We also need to hear from higher education institutions about student preparation in schools that provide access to higher education. Thus, beyond the document review, we will engage these stakeholders before drafting the report that will form the basis of the curriculum framework. However, the process will not conclude at that stage, as a second round of consultations will follow,” she explained.
The joint work among the Ministry of Education, SEAMEO, and UNESCO will take place over several days in Dili to help prepare the new curriculum framework ahead of the public consultation.
Timor-Leste has been a member of SEAMEO since 2006. The regional organisation promotes cooperation among Southeast Asian nations in education, science, and culture. UNESCO, through its Regional Office in Jakarta, also supports Timor-Leste in various areas of educational system development.
On October 3rd, 2026, at Tibar Bay Port in Liquiçá, the Vice-Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, and the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Filipus Nino Pereira, attended the launch of the first export of salt produced in Laga, Baucau Municipality, to New Zealand, totalling 300 tonnes.
A Timorese company is handling the export, marking the entry of this national product into the New Zealand market as part of efforts to increase national production, diversify exports, and develop the private sector.
The initiative took place one day after the Ministry of Commerce and Industry signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the company behind the project, aimed at supporting the development of Timor-Leste’s salt industry. The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation under which the Government supports the sector’s development and the company leads commercial activities based on national production, processing, and export.
The Memorandum of Understanding aims to increase national salt production, progressively reduce dependence on imports, and promote products that meet the quality standards required by international markets. The initiative also aims to create jobs and income-generating opportunities in production areas.
During the ceremony, Vice-Prime Minister Francisco Kalbuadi Lay highlighted the Timorese private sector’s initiative and the growth potential of the national industry.
“We hope this small industry can grow even further,” the Vice-Prime Minister said.
The Minister of Commerce and Industry emphasised that increasing national production will expand the country’s salt supply and reduce imports as productive capacity is strengthened.
“This demonstrates seriousness on the part of both the Government and the private sector. Today, salt produced in Timor is already being exported. As national production increases, we will reduce salt imports,” stated Filipus Nino Pereira.
According to information presented at the launch, activities linked to the salt industry have already created more than 500 jobs. The company plans to increase production and progressively expand operations to other areas of the country.
In addition to New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, the United States of America, and Canada were also identified as potential markets for national salt.
Laga salt exports build on the development of national production and the pursuit of new foreign markets for products produced and processed in Timor-Leste.
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The Government of Timor-Leste and the Commission on Higher Education of the Philippines (CHED) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on October 1st, 2026, in Cebu City, Philippines, to strengthen cooperation in higher education, with a focus on academic mobility, scholarships, research, quality assurance, curriculum development, credit transfer, and collaboration between higher education and research institutions.
The Vice-Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Culture, Mariano Assanami Sabino, and CHED Chair Shirley Agrupis signed the Memorandum during the Higher Education Partnerships Conference (HEPCON) 2026, held on October 1st and 2nd in Cebu.
HEPCON 2026 brought together government officials, university leaders, experts, and representatives from higher education institutions to foster dialogue, knowledge sharing, and international partnerships. During the conference, participants discussed topics including student and faculty mobility, research, quality assurance, curriculum development, innovation, and the internationalisation of higher education.
Mariano Assanami Sabino also participated as a conference speaker, in his capacity as Vice-Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Culture, at a programme featuring higher education leaders and experts from various countries.
The agreement establishes a broad framework for cooperation between Timor-Leste and the Philippines and is expected to promote new training opportunities for students, faculty, and researchers, as well as partnerships among higher education institutions in both countries.
In his remarks, Mariano Assanami Sabino highlighted the Government’s priority on human resource development within the national development process and thanked the Philippines for its support for Timor-Leste. The Vice-Prime Minister also said he expected the new Memorandum to translate into concrete cooperation initiatives and more opportunities for Timorese students to study in the Philippines.
The new Memorandum builds on nearly two decades of cooperation between Timor-Leste and the Philippines in higher education. According to data released by CHED, approximately 200 Timorese students have received support to study in the Philippines, and 126 are currently enrolled in higher education institutions in the Philippines.
Under the new cooperation framework, Timor-Leste will be able to identify priority areas for scholarship recipients, with CHED facilitating coordination with the relevant Philippine institutions in the selected fields, in accordance with their respective admission requirements.
Among the identified opportunities for cooperation are a partnership between the University of the Philippines and the National University of Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL), opportunities for advanced training and medical education for Timorese students and professionals, and potential collaboration with Mariano Marcos State University in the areas of scholarships, academic mobility, research, and capacity building.
Ambassador of Timor-Leste to the Philippines, Marciano Octávio Garcia da Silva; the Rector of UNTL, Joviano António da Costa; and the Vice-Rector for Cooperation Affairs, Cristóvão dos Reis, were also present at the signing ceremony.
The Memorandum sets out the framework for developing specific initiatives between institutions in both countries in the areas identified as priorities.
The Vice-Minister for ASEAN Affairs, Milena Rangel, attended the Australia–ASEAN Business Forum 2026 on September 29th and 30th, 2026 at the Adelaide Convention Centre in Adelaide, South Australia. The Vice-Minister delivered a keynote address and shared perspectives on the theme “Investing in ASEAN: Opportunities for the Next Decade” at a meeting that brought together government and business representatives from Australia and the ASEAN region.
The Forum brought together government representatives, business leaders, and other stakeholders from Australia and the ASEAN Member States to promote economic relations, identify trade and investment opportunities, and foster partnerships between the two regions.
The 2026 edition took place under the theme “Deepening Economic Integration Between Australia and ASEAN in a Changing Global Landscape” and focused discussions on areas including trade and investment, energy security and transition, the digital economy, artificial intelligence and innovation, food security and agribusiness, human capital and workforce development, and economic integration between Australia and ASEAN.
Vice-Minister Milena Rangel was among the Forum’s keynote speakers, alongside the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Kao Kim Hourn, government representatives from Australia and ASEAN Member States, and business sector leaders.
At the opening session, the ASEAN Secretary-General highlighted the strengthening of cooperation between ASEAN and Australia across trade and investment, supply chain resilience, energy transition, digital transformation, skills development, and private sector participation.
The Australia–ASEAN Business Forum serves as a platform for public- and private-sector dialogue to promote contacts, trade, investment, and business relations between Australia and ASEAN countries. This year’s edition sought to identify opportunities for greater economic collaboration and for developing long-term partnerships.