Timor Leste Church supplying teachers to university
(March 14, 2011) The diocese of Dili in Timor Leste has been helping a state-run
university in the capital, by assigning priests and nuns to teach at the institution.
The National University of Timor Leste in Dili established in 2000, has 10,556 students
from different countries including Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. It hires
137 lecturers including four diocesan, Divine Word and Jesuit priests and five Canossian,
Carmelite, Dominican and Franciscan nuns. “The diocese of Dili always supplies skilled
priests and nuns to teach at the university,” said Miguel Maia, co-chairman of the
academics desk at the end of a workshop last week. He said the local Church has
played a significant role in the development of human resources in the country, explaining
that priests and nuns have teaching experience in several developed countries. Sister
Esmeralda, co-chair of the student affairs desk, said that Timor Leste now needs to
focus on the development of human resources.