To better understand the needs of Christian higher education institutions in Timor-Leste and explore ways to support them, Cynthia—accompanied by Dr. Ouda Teda Ena, Dr. Made Frida Yulia, and Mr. Thomas Wahyu Prabowo Mukti from the English Institute of Sanata Dharma University—visited six institutions in mid-April. These institutions, many of which have been established within the past five years, are operated by the Catholic Diocese of Dili and other religious orders in Timor-Leste.

On the morning of April 8, the team visited Universidade Catolica Timorense (above). Cynthia introduced the United Board and its mission to the students and faculty there, followed by discussions on linguistics, artificial intelligence, and language teaching. In the afternoon, the group visited Instituto Professional de Canossa.

The visits continued on April 9 and 10 to the following institutions:

• Naromen Esperansa (left photo, first row below)
• Instituto Sao Joa de Brito (right photo, first row below)
• Instituto Superior Dom Bosco
• Instituto Catolico para a Formacao de Professores (photo on second row below)

Throughout the visits, Cynthia and the team were warmly welcomed and engaged in productive discussions with each institution. However, it was clear that the higher education sector in Timor-Leste continues to face significant challenges. Persistent privations following independence and slow economic development over the past two decades have left many institutions struggling with basic needs, such as infrastructure and language training. Most of these institutions primarily focus on teacher training for basic education.

This visit has provided valuable insights and will inform proposals for how the United Board can offer meaningful support to needy institutions in an underserved region.

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