The Minister for Higher Education, Science and Culture, José Honório da Costa Pereira Jerónimo, paid a working visit to the Republic of Indonesia from March 2nd to 6th, 2025, to strengthen bilateral cooperation in higher education, science, and technology. During the visit, he met with his Indonesian counterpart, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Brian Yuliarto, and leaders of Indonesian academic institutions, including the Pertanian Bogor Institute (IPB) and the Christian University of Indonesia. 
At the meeting with Minister Brian Yuliarto, both leaders discussed expanding cooperation in higher education, scientific research, technological innovation and academic exchange. Among the main points discussed were making it easier to obtain student visas and extending the validity of KITAS (residence permits) for Timorese students enrolled in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programmes. Minister Brian Yuliarto expressed his commitment to supporting Timorese students and reaffirmed Indonesia’s willingness to continue strengthening academic relations between the two countries. 
During the meeting, Minister José Honório stressed the importance of bilateral cooperation in developing higher education in Timor-Leste, stressing that “strengthening academic and technological partnerships is essential for guaranteeing the qualification of our human resources and fostering scientific research”. The Timorese leader also invited his counterpart to visit Timor-Leste to continue the academic collaboration initiatives. 
The Minister and his delegation met with the Bogor Agricultural Institute (BAI/IPB) leadership to discuss scholarship programmes for Timorese students. The IPB has committed to awarding ten scholarships for degree courses and has expressed interest in developing professional internship programmes and setting up a Doctoral School for Timorese students. The possibility of funding scholarships for officials from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Culture through the International Cooperation Development Fund Programme was also discussed. 
At the Christian University of Indonesia, the Minister met with the Rector, academic leaders and Timorese students attending the institution. During the meeting, opportunities for collaboration were explored in the areas of scientific research, academic exchange, and the development of online teaching programmes. The Minister thanked the university for welcoming the national students and emphasised the importance of strategic partnerships to improve the quality of higher education in Timor-Leste.
As part of his agenda, Minister José Honório was also the keynote speaker at the International Seminar organised by the Atma Jaya Catholic University in Jakarta on “Education for Sustainable Development in Timor-Leste”. In his speech, he stressed that “education is the key to Timor-Leste’s sustainable development, and it is essential to strengthen the higher education sector, invest in digitalisation and promote scientific and technological research”. The event was attended by Timor-Leste’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Roberto Soares, the Atma Jaya Catholic University Rector, Yuda Turana, and teachers and students, including Timorese attending higher education institutions in Jakarta. 
The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Culture’s working visit to Indonesia reinforced Timor-Leste’s commitment to expanding academic and scientific collaboration with Indonesian institutions to qualify human resources and develop higher education in the country. The agreements reached during this visit will later be incorporated into the revision of the memorandum of understanding already signed between the two governments. 
