Author: Letícia Suzane Araújo
Photo: Isabele Tavares Paes
The Executive Directorate of International Relations (DERI) at Unicamp received, on the morning of Friday, December 5th, a delegation from the Human Capital Development Fund (FDCH), linked to the Ministry of Planning and Strategic Investment (MPIE) of Timor-Leste, for an institutional meeting. The main objective of the meeting was to explore possibilities for cooperation agreements in the area of education.
During the meeting, Professor Ana Cecília Bizon from the Institute of Language Studies (IEL) at Unicamp presented the projects she has been developing in Timor-Leste since 2023, especially in the area of teaching Portuguese as a second language. She highlighted actions such as the curricular reform of basic education, in partnership with the Timorese Ministry of Education, and the teacher training project supported by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), scheduled to continue until 2029.
The Timorese delegation presented the workings of the FDCH, responsible for funding scholarships to train professionals in priority areas. The Fund operates both with merit-based scholarships, aimed at the general public, and with a specific program for teachers in private higher education. For 2026, it is planned to offer 69 scholarships covering areas such as teaching Portuguese, mathematics, natural sciences, socio-environmental education, tourism, entrepreneurship, and cultural heritage. The entire selection process, which includes merit evaluation, a Portuguese language proficiency test, and an interview, is conducted by the Human Capital Development Fund, with support from the Ministry of Education.
As a result of the discussions, a preliminary cooperation proposal was drawn up between Unicamp and the government of Timor-Leste. The initiative foresees the establishment of an academic, scientific and technical agreement aimed at the training of human resources, with actions that include offering regular places in undergraduate and postgraduate programs for Timorese students, teacher training and capacity-building programs, academic mobility and researcher exchange.
The delegation was composed of Anastacia Espírito Santo, coordinator of the MPIE, Tomas Maria Nunes, legal advisor of the MPIE, Marcia Sarmento Aparicio, technical and training advisor of the MPIE, in addition to the technicians, Yeheskiel Moniz, Lorena da Costa Sarmento, Maria Leticia de Assis Fraga, Josefina Aloto Mendoça Tilman, and the IT management technician, Octavio do Rosario da Costa Mendonça.
Representing Unicamp were Luana Mattos, International Relations Advisor at DERI; Ana Cecília Cossi Bizon, professor at the Institute of Language Studies (IEL); Fabricio Oliveira Camargo Herreros, mobility coordinator at DERI; and Felipe Ribeiro Sampaio, international cooperation assistant.
