Kuala Lumpur, 02/11/2024: His Excellency the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Culture, Dr. José Honório, accompanied by advisors and technicians from MESCC, held a meeting with his counterpart from the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia, led by His Excellency the Minister of Higher Education, Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir, and his team, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
During the meeting, discussions focused on the commitment to implement a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the Higher Education sector for 2025. The MoU will emphasize cooperation and joint efforts in areas such as capacity building for human resources, granting scholarships, promoting student mobility, and programs related to curriculum development and qualification systems.
The cooperation to be implemented is expected to contribute significantly to the development of the Higher Education sector and the enhancement of human resources in Timor-Leste. Special emphasis will be given to matters such as curriculum quality and the implementation of qualification systems, with the aim of developing highly qualified human resources capable of meeting international standards and accessing global markets, particularly within ASEAN.
During the meeting, His Excellency the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Culture expressed his appreciation and admiration for Malaysia’s Higher Education system, which is renowned for its organization and quality, serving as a reference for other countries. In turn, His Excellency the Malaysian Minister, Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir, reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to continue supporting Timor-Leste, particularly in the Higher Education sector. The Malaysian Minister also highlighted Malaysia’s priority to strengthen the quality of Higher Education at the ASEAN level, aligning with Malaysia’s upcoming presidency of ASEAN in 2025.
According to the established plan, the two governmental institutions will formalize this agreement, with its signing scheduled for January 2025. The meeting was attended by technicians and officials from both the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia and MESCC.