From January 5th to 7th, 2026, the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Culture undertook an official mission to Indonesia, accompanied by a delegation from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Culture (MESCC), to strengthen international cooperation in the development of higher education in Timor-Leste, with a focus on science and technology. 
As part of the mission, the delegation travelled to Jember, where it visited the Mandala Institute of Science and Technology, and to Surabaya, where it held institutional meetings with the State University of Surabaya (UNESA).
The meetings enabled agreements on the implementation of joint research programmes, the awarding of scholarships, the exchange of teachers and students, and teacher training initiatives, in line with the strategic priorities defined by the MESCC.
As an immediate result of the mission, MESCC secured access to 100 scholarships offered by UNESA at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels in priority areas for Timor-Leste, as well as 20 scholarships offered by the Mandala Institute of Science and Technology for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science, health, and economics.
This mission is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships between Timor-Leste and Indonesia in higher education, contributing to the qualification of human resources and to national scientific and technological development.