On April 27th, 2026, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Culture (MESSC – acronym in Portuguese) signed an agreement in Dili with the Ibero-American University Foundation (FUNIBER – acronym in Portuguese) to provide Master’s and Doctorate (PhD) scholarships to faculty members at higher education institutions in Timor-Leste, to strengthen the academic qualifications and capacity of the national university system. 
The agreement was formalised at a ceremony at the MESSC headquarters, attended by the Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs—Mariano Assanami Sabino, who is currently serving in an acting capacity as Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Culture—alongside representatives from FUNIBER and various higher education institutions.
This initiative forms part of the Government’s efforts to strengthen higher education and promote human resource development, in line with national development priorities and Timor-Leste’s regional integration with ASEAN.
The agreement initially covers five institutions of higher education: the Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosae (UNTL), the Timorese Catholic University (UCT – acronym in Portuguese), the University of Dili (UNDIL), the Dili Institute of Technology (DIT), and the Institute of Business (IOB). Direct coordination is planned with each institution for the selection and nomination of faculty candidates.
The scholarships will be funded by FUNIBER and are intended for Master’s and Doctoral (PhD) programmes, including distance learning options, enabling faculty members to continue their professional work in Timor-Leste while pursuing their studies. The fields of study include, among others, health, management, law, tourism, and administration.
During the ceremony, Mariano Assanami Sabino noted that the agreement will contribute to faculty development and to improving the quality of higher education, emphasising the need to align academic training with regional and international standards.
FUNIBER’s Director of Institutional Relations, Frigdiano Álvaro Durantez Prados, noted that the cooperation aims to promote advanced training for university faculty and to integrate Timor-Leste into an academic network spanning Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries, thereby strengthening the link between the Ibero-American and Asia-Pacific regions.
The agreement also stipulates that higher education institutions will nominate candidates for scholarships in accordance with established criteria, and that the number of scholarships will be determined during the programme’s implementation.
The ceremony also included the signing of memoranda of understanding between FUNIBER and several national universities to formalise direct cooperation in higher education.