Dili, Timor-Leste – May 7–9, 2025
Universitas Widyatama University (UTama) continues to expand its international presence through strategic partnerships in Timor-Leste. This official visit, led by the Vice Rector for Research, Community Service (PkM), Innovation, and Cooperation, Dr. Didit Damur Rochman, aims to strengthen synergy in the implementation of the Tridharma Perguruan Tinggi (Three Pillars of Higher Education) while opening opportunities for the acceptance of international students from Timor Leste.
The visit began with a meeting at the Indonesian Cultural Center (PBI), Indonesian Embassy in Dili, which was welcomed directly by the Education and Culture Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Dili, Prof. Dr. Phil. Ikhfan Haris, M.Sc.. During the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between UTama and the Indonesian Embassy in Dili as the first step in a long-term collaboration.
Prof. Ikhfan welcomed UTama’s initiative and conveyed various potential areas for collaboration, ranging from the acceptance of students from Timor Leste, internship programs, to community service activities (PkM). He also stressed that this collaboration is in line with efforts to improve Key Performance Indicators (IKU) and strengthen the competitiveness of higher education in the Southeast Asian region.
The highlight of this series of activities took place on May 9, 2025, when UTama officially signed an MoU on cooperation with five universities in Timor Leste, namely:
- Instituto Superior Crista
- Instituto Ciencia da Saude
- Universidade Oriental Timor Lorosa’e
- Instituto Superior Dombosco
- Universidade De Dili
On this occasion, Dr. Didit said that Universitas Widyatama is wide open to cooperation in the fields of joint research, community service, and advanced study programs. He also invited all partners present to participate in the International Conference to be held by UTama in mid-2026.
One of the highlights of this meeting was the introduction of UTama’s Library and Information Science Study Program. Prof. Ikhfan said that this program is very relevant to improving the quality of librarian human resources in Timor Leste, especially for regional libraries and partner campuses. This received a positive response from all university representatives present, who then expressed interest in collaborating on training programs and scholarship grants for outstanding librarians.
The intensive yet friendly meeting concluded with a group photo and the presentation of traditional Timorese cloth to the UTama delegation as a symbol of brotherhood and respect.
“By accepting this traditional Timorese cloth, UTama has now become part of the greater Timor Leste family,” said one of the representatives of the partner university warmly.
This step by UTama shows a strong commitment to building inclusive and impactful international cooperation, both for improving the quality of higher education in Indonesia and for developing human resources in the region.
