Celebration of the National Higher Education Day
2025-08-05 | 08:00:00 | IPDC
Celebration of the National Higher Education Day and the World Science Day for Peace and Development
On August 5, Timor-Leste celebrated the National Higher Education Day in conjunction with the World Science Day for Peace and Development, promoted by UNESCO. To mark the occasion, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Culture organized two activities of spiritual and scientific nature, reflecting the integral dimension of higher education in the country.
Eucharistic Celebration
The first activity was the Eucharistic Celebration, held at the Main Church of Dili – Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. The Mass was concelebrated by several priests from private and Catholic higher education institutions, and presided over by His Eminence, Cardinal Virgílio do Carmo da Silva, SDB.
In his homily, Cardinal Virgílio emphasized the importance of seeking the true wisdom that comes from God, and called on intellectuals to cultivate the ability to preserve and strive for the common good, placing knowledge at the service of society.
International Seminar: "Timor-Leste and the Digital Future"
Following the liturgical celebration, participants gathered in the Noble Hall dedicated to Pope Francis, at the Presidential Palace in Aitarak-Laran, for the International Seminar under the theme: “Timor-Leste and the Digital Future: AI, Science and Higher Education for Development”
Three invited speakers explored different aspects of artificial intelligence:
Dr. Onno Purbo, Rector of the
Institute of Technology Tangerang Selatan (ITTS), presented the fundamental concepts of AI and its global relevance.
Dr. Abel Pires, lecturer at the
Institute of Business (IOB), spoke about the digital transformation in Timor-Leste’s higher education system.
Dr. Shannon Viegas, Coordinator of IQA at the
Catholic University of Timor-Leste (UCT), offered reflections on the practical demonstrations of AI use in higher education.
Roundtable Discussion: "The Future of Education with AI: Pathways for Timor-Leste"
In the afternoon, a roundtable discussion was held with four representatives from technology departments of higher education institutions, who shared institutional views on the future of education with AI:
Dr. Gabriel de Jesus, creator of the
Labadain.com platform and PhD candidate at the University of Porto.
Dr. Édio da Costa, from the
Dili Institute of Technology (DIT).
Dr. Jaime Lobo Soares, from the
Canossa Professional Institute (IPDC).
Dr. Shannon Viegas, from
UCT.
Dili Charter on AI in Higher Education
The day concluded with the signing of the Dili Charter on AI in Higher Education-a collective commitment to promote the ethical, inclusive, and transformative use of artificial intelligence across Timorese academic institutions.
