Higher Education in Timor-Leste

This chapter discusses several aspects of Timor-Leste’s higher education landscape. First, an overview of Timor-Leste higher education is presented, followed by specific topics such as access to education, which in the context of Timor-Leste is specifically dominated by private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and a centralized admission to public HEI by the Government. Quality and student assessment in higher education are also discussed. The chapter also provides a detailed description of the progress of the curriculum system and issues surrounding curriculum development. Inclusive education as an emerging issue is described, focusing on policy development. Training and professional development of faculty staff are examined in the context of further study in higher qualification and its relation to the faculty staff career regime. Issues surrounding the implementation of career regimes are briefly reviewed with the private sector’s inability to fulfill the financial requirement of the career regime law. Lastly, several key points are also addressed, including the lack of funding, language policy in higher education, and balancing quantity and quality in higher education.