Timor-Leste and Indonesia's Brawijaya University Strengthen Cooperation in Higher Education and Rural Development
On October 4th and 5th, 2026, the Vice Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs, and Minister of Rural Development and Community Housing, Mariano Assanami Sabino, visited Brawijaya University in Malang, East Java, Indonesia, where two Memoranda of Understanding were signed to strengthen cooperation with Timor-Leste in higher education, science, research, and rural development.
Mariano Assanami Sabino, as Minister of Rural Development and Community Housing and Acting Minister of Higher Education, Science and Culture, and Universitas Brawijaya’s Rector, Professor Widodo, signed the agreements.
In higher education, the Memorandum of Understanding establishes a framework for cooperation in teaching, research, and community service, encompassing the Indonesian concept of Tri Dharma Perguruan Tinggi (The Three Pillars of Higher Education).
The cooperation creates opportunities for Timorese students and academics through scholarships, academic mobility, joint and dual-degree programmes, and joint research. The two parties also discussed postgraduate, master’s, and doctoral programmes, as well as knowledge transfer.
During the meeting, Mariano Assanami Sabino urged that the commitments set out in the Memorandum be translated into concrete programmes and activities and proposed establishing a joint technical team to prepare a schedule and work programme to guide implementation across the agreed areas of cooperation.
The signing builds on the ongoing dialogue between the Government and Universitas Brawijaya. Between April 23rd and 25th of this year, a university delegation travelled to Timor-Leste and met the Vice Prime Minister to explore opportunities for cooperation, including in agriculture, human resource development, and coffee value chain development.
As part of the training opportunities offered by the Indonesian institution, Brawijaya University received 42 applications from Timorese students for its scholarship programmes, 11 of which were selected.
The visit also included meetings with Timorese students at Brawijaya University and participation in the university’s academic activities. Mariano Assanami Sabino is an alumnus of this institution, where he began his agricultural studies in 1991.
The cooperation established during the visit also extends to rural and community development, through a Memorandum of Understanding between Brawijaya University and the Ministry of Rural Development and Community Housing, which aims to create a framework for developing joint initiatives in this area.
The two Memoranda strengthen the cooperation framework between Timor-Leste and Brawijaya University and lay the foundations for joint training programmes, research, knowledge exchange, and initiatives in rural and community development.
