VICTORIA

UNIVERSITY
AND TIMOR-
LESTE
Dr Helen M. Hill
Honorary Fellow, College of Arts and Education,
Victoria University
and Profesora Convidada,
Universidade Nacional Timor Loro Sae (UNTL), Dili
1980s and 1990s Timorese Students
start coming to Victoria University
Victoria University as a dual sector
university (TAFE and Higher
Education) attracted Timorese
refugees as they could do
preparatory work in the TAFE and
then articulate to degree studies,
Salustiano Freitas (pictured),
Justino Guterres, Gil Santos, Tim
Lay, Fernando Lay all studied at
VU. In 1998 Salustiano organised a
conference among Diaspora
Timorese Its time to Lead the Way
The Beginnings In 1998 the Universitys Centre for
Asia-Pacific Studies began to co-
of VU host seminars on development
involvement issues in East Timor such as
health, sustainable development,
education and agriculture with the
Australia-East Timor Association.
At one of these seminars in
December 1998, Jose Ramos
Horta, International representative
of the Concelho Nacional
Resistencia Timorense (CNRT)
suggested that VU co-host an
international seminar on Strategic
Development Planning for East
Timor with the CNRT.
April 1999 - VU hosts the first
conference on Development in Timor

The conference on Strategic Development Planning for

East Timor took place with funding from Foreign
Affairs Minister Alexander Downer. It was co-ordinated
by VU Masters student, Joo Canio Freitas as part of
the research for his thesis, together with Emilia Pires
of the East Timor Development Agency. Dr Helen Hill
represented VU on the Planning Committee and
Professor Kee Poo Kong of the Centre for Asia-Pacific
Studies gave administrative support. It was the first
ever Conference held at VUs new Conference Centre
in the City Campus.
October 1999: Victoria University East Timor
Working Group founded at the VU table at the
Dinner to Welcome Xanana Gusmo on his first
visit to Melbourne. VU had several staff who had
been active in support of
Timor-Lestes self-
determination including
Jeannie Rea, Julie
Stephens, Helen Hill,
Russell Wright, Michael
Hamel-Green, the late Ray
Simonsen and Council
members Jean McLean and
Peter McMullin. Vice
Chancellor Jarlath
Ronayne was very
supportive .
May 2000 - Xanana Gusmo opens the Office for
the Emergency of the CNRT (National Council of
Timorese Resistance) at VUs City Flinders
Campus Abel Guterres was the representative
Helen Hill Leads a VU Delegation to
observe East Timors First Parliamentary
elections on August 30th 2001

The delegation included Jean McLean (Council Member),

Brian Fairman (VU International), Andrew Funston (Arts
Lecturer), Neven Knezevic & Joo Canio Freitas (PhD
candidates) and Chloe Beaton (undergraduate).
February 2002 Victoria University gains a
Number of Timorese Students on AusAID
Scholarships, Alex Tilman and Nivio Magalhes
start the East Timor Students Association (ETSA)
at VU here seen with Flora Baptista, Gerson
Alves and Alcino Passos.
20th MAY 2002 Victoria University is
invited to send a delegation to the
Independence Ceremony in Dili.

Chancellor, Justice Frank

Vincent, Professors Jim
Falk & David Lawson and
Council Members Jean
McLean and Peter
McMullin attended, here
some of the delegation
receive a briefing from Vice
Chancellor Jarlath
Ronayne and Kirsty Sword
Gusmo.
August 2002 - Richard Carter, Head
of TAFE and Brian Fairman visit
Timor-Leste and meet Education
Minister Armindo Maia
Richard Carter observed
five TAFE courses were
particularly needed in
Timor-Leste:
Office Administration,
Accounting, Electronics (for
computer repair),
Librarianship (information
management) and
Hospitality and Tourism
1ST April 2003, Victoria University Confers
a Doctorate of Law, Honoris Causa, on
Xanana Gusmo
2003 Joo Canio Freitas completes his
PhD and returns to Timor-Leste to
establish the Dili Institute of Technology,
a dual sector institution, modelled on VU
November 2003 Justice Frank Vincent, VU
Chancellor and Richard Carter, Head of TAFE, sign
a Memorandum of Understanding with Kirsty
Sword Gusmo, Chair of the Board of Dili Institute
of Technology (DIT}.
 2004, The Victorian Government funds
Annie Keogh as a VU staff member
located at the Dili Institute of Technology
Annie Keogh spends
2004 and 2005 at Dili
Institute of Technology
as a Victoria University
employee.
She advised the
Principal Dr Joao
Canio Freitas, taught
English, engaged in
curriculum
development, student
support and policy
development.
THE 2000 Dr Helen Hill spends her OSP in
Timor Leste, based at the National Research
BEGINNINGS Centre (CNIC).
OF VUs November 2000 - the University of Timor-
Loro Sae (UNTL) opens.
ENGAGEMENT 2001 VU Department of Social Inquiry and
WITH THE Community Studies offers to teach some of
NATIONAL
its Community Development subjects to
students in Dili with half-finished degrees. A
UNIVERSITY request goes to Rector Armindo Maia and
OF TIMOR
Cabinet Member Fr Filomeno Jacob
Armindo and Filomeno decide to open a
LORO SAE Department of Community Development at
the UNTL and give responsibility to Valentin
Ximenes, head of FISIPOL. Armindo Maia
becomes Minister of Education.
Valentin Ximenes appoints Jose da Costa
Magno and Zacarias da Costa as Lecturers
September 2002 - First students enrolled in
Community Development at UNTL.
Jos da Costa Magno and Zacarias da Costa,
Lecturers in Community Development at the
National University of Timor Loro Sae (UNTL)
A Department set up under the inspiration of
Victoria University here seen enrolling
students at Campus Caicoli.
July 2004 - Helen Hill leads a four week study tour
to for BA and MA students Timor-Leste: History,
Politics and Society. One of the seminars is given
by Jos Ramos Horta in his office
 October 2004 - Social Science Lecturers
Russell Wright, Helen Hill and Balthasar Kehi
visit UNTL and the Higher Education Section of
the Ministry of Education, on behalf of the VU
Faculty of Arts
Here the VU delegation
meets with Justino
Guterres, head of
Tertiary Education, a
VU Honours Graduate
in Arts from Footscray
in the 1980s. He later
became TLs first
Ambassador to the
Vatican.
FURTHER June 2004 Dr Helen Hill takes a Study Tour
of students to Timor Leste, they visit the
HISTORY Community Development Department for a
OF THE VU-
joint class as part of their course.
A delegation of Helen Hill, Dr Russell Wright
UNTL and Dr Balthasar Kehi visit UNTL with the
RELATIONSHIP idea of engaging in some joint research,
including applying for a Linkage Grant to
do some joint research on the Contribution
of Higher Education to Sustainable
Development in Timor-Leste. They meet
Valentin Ximenes and Aurelio Guterres who
suggests the idea of a joint Centre for the
Studies of Community Development.
Dr Aurelio Guterres visits Melbourne in June
2005 for the Co-operating with Timor-Leste
conference, he stresses the importance of
the project for helping Timor develop its
curriculum guidelines in Higher Education.
 February 2005 Vice Chancellor Professor
Elizabeth Harman nominates Jean McLean as her
special advisor on East Timor
 VU Foundation launches an East
Timor Scholarships Fund 2005
The East Timor Scholarships
Fund was established within
the Victoria University
Foundation in 2005 to assist
selected highly promising
students who have no other
way to get to the university.
They are given fee waivers.,
the Foundation pays their
living allowance.
The first candidate was Alex
Gusmo Freitas, seen here
with CD field work co-
ordinator at the time, Jane
Touzeau and Helen Hill.
2005 Brian Fairman introduces Workplace
Trainer Certificate (now known as Certificate IV
in Training and Assessment) and later the
Diploma, at Dili Institute of Technology, this
valuable qualification has been gained by many
Timorese under the auspices of VU.
Co-operating with Timor-Leste Conference
16th 18th June 2005 at VU Conference Centre
Prime Minister of Timor Leste Dr Mari Alkatiri
gives the opening address, Dr Aurelio Guterres,
Vice-Rector of UNTL attends.

AETA
AUSTRALIA-EAST TIMOR
ASSOICIATION
Timor-Leste Studies Association
founded at an academic seminar
the day before the 2005 conference
Dr Michael Leach
launches a book at
the first TLSA
conference, in the
gardens of the old
Hotel Turismo.
TLSA Conferences
are held in Dili
before UNTL-VU
Conferences.
December 2005, second student
arrives on VU Foundation, East
Timor Scholarship
Ismenio Martins da Silva, a
graduate of the National
University of Timor Loro Sae,
arrives in December 2005 to
begin his studies in English
and MA Asia-Pacific
Community Development.
The University community
holds fundraisers to promote
the Foundation and its East
Timor Fund and staff may
contribute through salary-
packaged deductions.
August to November 2007 - Six Timorese Youth
Policy Leaders spend three months as visiting
fellows at VU on Australian Leadership Awards

The ALA Fellows,

from left, Maraquita
Soares, Ana Paula,
Jos da Costa
Magno of UNTL,
Jos Neves of the
Secretariat of State
for Youth and Sport,
Filomena Barros dos
Reis and UNTLs
Zacarias da Costa,
seen here with
course co-ordinator
Dr Helen Hill
Five Exchange Students from UNTL spend 2nd
semester 2007 in the Arts & Education Faculty
at VU under the Endeavour exchange scheme
organized by Deb Tyler

They were Community

Development students
Jenito Sanata (now with
KSI), Gaspar Pereira,
and Nenik Ximenes, and
English students Vidal
Campos Magno (now
with Ba Futuru),and Ana
Paula. All have done
extremely well since
their return and
completing their
courses.
September 2007 - Eugenio (Ego) Lemos,
Timorese Musician and Permaculturist,
arrives to do his MA with a scholarship
from the Irish Government
Ego (right) at
Footscray Park
campus with fellow
MA (International
Community
Development) student
Ismenio Martins da
Silva and Ann
Wigglesworth a PhD
candidate studying
Civil Society in Timor-
Leste
Timorese Health Minsiter Timor-Lese
Minister for
visits VU and gives a Health Dr Nelson
seminar November 2007 Martins, meets
VU Timorese
students,
Australian
Leadership
Awardees and
Endeavour
Exchange
program
students after
his seminar at
the VU Flinders
Street Campus.
Ismenio Martins da Silva returns to
Timor-Leste in 2008 to a job as
Advisor to the Secretary of State
for Vocational Education and
Employment Ismenio is farewelled
by VUs Deb Tyler and
the Honorary Consul
for Timor-Leste in
Melbourne, Kevin
Bailey. Ismenio later
became Labor and
Education attach in
Canberra and now
heads the Human
Capital Development
Fund.
Alex Gusmo returns to Timor-Leste as
CEO of Timor-Aid, with a particular focus
on Civic Education
Alex Gusmo returned to
Timor as CEO of Timor
Aid. He was also a very
popular sessional lecturer
in the UNTL Community
Development Department.
Here he shows his
participatory learning
style in the classroom
during a project planning
subject.
Alex later became
manager of the Anti-
Corruption Commission.
Joo Cnio Freitas becomes Education Minister
in the 4th Constitutional Government and Brian
Fairman his Advisor on Vocational Education
during 2008
Brian Fairman,
formerly of VU
TAFE, organizing a
Community
Consultation with
the Minister on the
types of vocational
and technical
education needed
in Timor-Leste.
July 2008 - 2nd Timor-Leste, History, Politics and
Society Study Tour, Community Development
graduate Maria do Ceu Soares organizes a
seminar at her workplace, the office of the
Secretary of State for the Promotion of Equality

Maria do Ceu with one of her

former lecturers at Victoria
University, Marg Leser, a
participant on the 2008 VU
study tour.
At the Desk is Sra Idelta
Rodriguez, Secretary of State
for the Promotion of Equality,
who gave a seminar for the
participants on Timors
policies on the advancement
of women.
October 2008 Training for UNTL Lecturers

A course on Teaching and

Learning in Higher
Education was conducted
by Dr Helen Hill and Zacarias
da Costa (who completed
Certificate IV in Training and
Assessment while in
Australia as an ALA)
Lecturers from the
Education and Engineering
Faculties took part as well
as those from Social
Sciences.
July 2009 Joint UNTL-VU Conference on
Transforming Timor-Leste for Sustainable
Development, Human Rights and Peace.

A Plenary session at the

the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, with Catherina
Williams van Klinken,
interpreter (left),
Magistrate Ian Gray, UNTL
Community Development
Lecturer Antero Benedito
da Silva and Ana Pessoa,
Chief Prosecutor of
Timor-Leste.
August 2009, Chancellor Justice Frank
Vincent Confers a Doctorate of Law,
Honoris Causa, on President of Timor-
Leste, Jose Ramos Horta
October 2009 - Dulce de Jesus Soares
graduates with MA (Asia-Pacific
Community Development)
Dulce de Jesus Soares is
congratulated by Vice
Chancellor Dr Liz Harman .
Dulce took up a position in
UNEICEF in 2009, was
appointed Vice-Minister for
Pre-school and Basic
Education in the 5th
Constitutional Government
in 2011 and re-appointed as
a Vice Minister in the 6th
Government in 2015.
Cristina Freitas becomes the third
VU Foundation Scholar and
completes her Masters in Business
After one year at VU on
a Rotary
Scholarship Cristina
Freitas completes
her Masters with a
VU Foundation
Scholarship,
Cristina was later
elected President of
the Dili Rotary Club.
Emanuel Braz begins PhD Research
seen here with supervisor Les Terry and
Andrew Funston at Footscray Park campus.
Emanuel now works with the Prime Minister,
July 2010, third Study Tour to Timor-
Leste - Ego Lemos hosts a seminar
at PERMATIL.
Participants in the
2010 study tour
Timor-Leste:
History, Politics and
Society, here seen
visiting VU Graduate
Ego Lemos at
Permaculture Timor-
Leste (PERMATIL).
2010 Joo Noronha arrives at VU to
start his PhD with a scholarship from
AusAID ,
Joao is seen here with
VU Master of
Economics student
Apolinario Guterres
(left) and Emilia Pires,
then Minister for
Finance, at a public
lecture by Emilia at
Federation Square. He
is now teaching at the
Institute for Diplomacy.
VU Community Development graduate,
Deb Salvagno, a participant in the first
VU study tour and founder of ETWA (East
Timor Women Australia) goes to work in
Los Palos with a womens weaving co-
operative as an AVI Volunteer
May 2011, Ego Lemos graduates with MA
(International Community Development) here being
congratulated by Vice Chancellor Peter Dawkins,
Michael Hamel-Green, Dean of Arts & Neil Andrews
Chair of the Academic Board
June 2011 - three Students as Staff, Mira
Fonseca, Gaby Vaca and Apolinario Guterres
are employed to organize the UNTL-VU
Conference Knowledge, Attitudes and Skills for
Timor-Lestes Development
New Australian Ambassador to Dili, Miles
Armitage, hosts a cocktail party for the UNTL-
VU Conference, July 2011 and meets three of
the Australian Leadership Awardees about to
leave for Victoria University
UNTL-VU Conference July 2011, on Knowledge,
Attitudes and Skills for Timor-Lestes Development
has over 400 participants in Dili Convention Centre.
Here Martinho Pereira, Jean McLean, Deb Tyler
and Abel dos Santos participate in the closing
ceremony.
June 2011 Julie Arnold and Peter Thomas begin
study tours for VU students in Education to do
teaching practice in Timorese schools with
Timorese counterparts from UNTL. Jeanne Carroll
and Marcelle Cacciattolo have continued these
annual study tours. Here Australians ad Timorese
perform at the farewell ceremony at UNGL Campus
Liceu in July 2011.
 August 2011 - Five Australian Leadership Awards
Fellows arrive at VU to study university
governance.
The five from left Abel dos Santos, Head of Community Development Department,, Filipe
Mendes Pereira, Vice Dean of Economics, Martinho Pereira, Dean of Social Sciences,
Alexandrino Arajo, Librarian, and Cristovo dos Reis, Dean of Economics, seen here with
administrator Niki Poposki.
November 2011 Dr Helen Hill is presented
the Vice Chancellors Award for Service for
her work on Timor-Leste by Professor Peter
Dawkins
July 2012, Fourth Study Tour, Timor-
Leste, History, Politics and Society
Some of the
participants in the
2012 study tour
being welcomed by
Alex Gusmo for a
seminar at the
Anti-Corruption
Commission, with
Commissioner
Adrito de Jesus
Soares. .
Two VU Students Jessie Lopez and Ben Townsend spend
semester I of 2013 on exchange at UNTL here seen meeting
Community Development lecturer Dr Antero Bendito da Silva.
2013 UNTL VU Conference Future Directions
for Food in Timor-Leste: Improving Nutrition,
Cuisine, Food Markets and Rural Livelihoods.
 2013 UNTL-VU Conference Future Directions
for Food in Timor-Leste at Dili Convention
Centre
Vice Chancellor Peter Dawkins and his Advisor on Timor-Leste, Jean
McLean meet Secretary of State for Employment and Training Ilidio
Ximenes and Vice-Minister for Basic Education Dulce de Jesus Soares in
preparation for their sessions at the conference
 Three recent graduates of VU who
made presentations at the Food
conference

Left Januario Mok - Postgraduate Diploma in Technical Training,

Denis Tolkach - PhD on Community-based tourism in Timor-
Leste and Inacia Santos - Honours degree in Business with a
thesis on food in Dilis Hotels.
 BA and MA unit Timor-Leste: History,
Politics and Society is taught on the City
Flinders St Campus every second year.
Here some of the lecturers and students gather for a
meal after the last class in 2013
Two UNTL Community Development students,
Elvin Guterres and Joo Carlos da Costa spend
Semester 1 2014 studying at VU seen here at
Tullamarine Airport with fellow Timorese Fredelito Lafo
(left) and VU exchange student to UNTL Ben Townsend
May 2014 - Chancellor George
Pappas confers an Honorary
Doctorate of Education on Kirsty
Sword-Gusmo .
July 2014 Timor-Leste, History, Politics and
Society Study tour is run jointly with
students of UNTL, here shown at Campus
Caicoli after final class presentations
Dulce de Jesus Soares, VU graduate, and Vice-
Minister for Education, gives a seminar for both
VU study tours (Arts and Education) July 2014
(Education study tour leader Jeanne Carroll is
at the table).
 Ministry of Education delegation from TL
visits Victoria University in October 2014

Professor Benjamin Corte-Real of UNTL, Dr Ana Soares (now Vice

Minister for Health), Zito Oliveira and Adelina Noronha see here with
the Vice Chancellor, Professor Diane Mayer and Jean McLean, They
visitied Sporting, Library and Health Science facilities .
March 2015 Victoria University
delegation visits Timor-Leste
Pro-Vice Chancellor
Michelle Towstolless, and
Jean McLean visit Dili for
discussions on 2015
conference Finding
Pathways in Education in
Timor-Leste with Rector
Aurelio Guterres and
others. Here they meet
with Prime Minister Dr
Rui Araujo in his office.
July 2015 UNTL-VU Conference on
Finding Pathways in Education
VU Vice-Chancellor
Peter Dawkins and
UNTL Pro-Rector
Edmundo Vieigas
listen as Prime
Minister Rui Araujo
gives a lively
presentation on what
needs to be done with
Timorese education.
Dr Joao Noronha and Dr Emanuel Braz
graduate with their PhDs in October 2015

Here Dr Joao Noronha

receives his PhD from
VU Council Member
Professor Rufus Black,
Dr Emanuel Braz, who
received his on the
same day is working
with the Prime Minister.
UNTL Pro-Rector for Co-operation, Eduardo Serro
welcomes VU members of the Planning Committee Jean
McLean, Shannon Ryan and Ann Wigglesworth to the first
joint meeting to plan for the 2017 conference Finding
Pathways to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals