Timor-Leste in Tasmania

09/09/2026

Today (09/09), Alicia and Dawe, our year 11 students from Colégio de Sto. Inácio de Loiola, Kasait accompanied by their teacher Mr Phil Stanley from MacKillop Catholic College, participated in an interactive meeting with Ms Maggie Fyfe, the Australia Awards Student Coordinator at the University of Tasmania. The meeting was organised by Miss Silvia Correia de Araujo, an Australia Awards student at the university.

The main objective was to introduce the Australia Awards Scholarship Program to the students, helping them prepare for their future plans to return and study at the University of Tasmania after graduating from high-school.

Presenting the traditional Tais to Ms Fyfe as a symbol of thankfulness, Alicia expressed her gratitude with a heartfelt closing remark and said "we hope to see you again in the future."

Location: Centenarian Building, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay Campus.

23/08/2026

Professor Nitin Verma, Honorary Consul for Timor-Leste in Tasmania, and Mr Eoin Breen, Deputy Honorary Consul, organised a wonderful boat tour along the River Derwent for our Year 11 exchange students, Alicia and Dawe, as well as to celebrate Silvia’s birthday.

The tour ended with Alicia and Dawe presenting traditional Tais gifts to Professor Nitin and Mr Eoin as a gesture of appreciation, as well as Café Organico Atsabe coffee to Mr Collins. This was followed by a light lunch, a birthday song and cake cutting, a lovely way to celebrate and spend time together.

Alicia and Dawe were accompanied by Mr Phil Stanley, Teacher at MacKillop Catholic College.

A special thank you to Professor Nitin, Mr Eoin, and Mr Collins for making the day such a memorable experience.

10/08/2026

Our two wonderful Year 11 exchange students, Alicia and Dawe have been featured in The Mercury Newspaper Sunday edition, sharing their experience of swapping Timor-Leste’s tropical weather for a Tasmanian winter while undertaking their eight-week exchange program at MacKillop Catholic College in Hobart.

It is wonderful to see Alicia and Dawe embracing new experiences, building friendships, and representing Timor-Leste with pride. This exchange is more than an educational opportunity, it is also about strengthening friendship, cultural understanding, and people-to-people connections between Timor-Leste and Tasmania.

Congratulations, Alicia and Dawe, Students from Colégio de Sto. Inácio de Loiola, Kasait! We are very proud to see your journey recognised and shared with the wider Tasmanian community.

Hot off the press!

Did you spot a few familiar faces in Sunday's edition of The Mercury Newspaper?

We are thrilled to be hosting two students from Colegio Santo Inacio de Loiola in Dili to Australia for an eight-week hosting program, the first initiative of its kind for MacKillop. The College annually send students to visit communities in Timor-Leste, where they are hosted by the local community.

Read more in this excerpt from The Mercury Newspaper.

07/08/2026

On Thursday, 30 July, Deputy Honorary Consul Mr Eoin Breen hosted a welcome dinner for Jenifer Alves De Neri and Artur Maria Pereira, who are participating in a two-week seafood processing training program in Tasmania.

The training was organised by Professor Caleb Gardner from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania, is delivered under the Tasmanian Rock Lobster expertise program in Timor-Leste. The program provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen participants' technical knowledge and practical skills in seafood processing while further enhancing collaboration between Timor-Leste and Tasmania.

We wish Jenifer and Artur every success in their training and look forward to seeing the knowledge and skills they gain being successfully implemented in Timor-Leste.

03/08/2026

On Tuesday, 28 July, Professor Nitin Verma and Dr Anu Verma, Honorary Consul for Timor-Leste in Tasmania graciously hosted UTAS Alumni dinner in Dili. It was a great opportunity to stay reconnect, strengthen friendships and professional networks among fellow UTAS alumni.

From left: Paulo de Araujo, Carlos Almeida, Fandy Pinto, Professor Nitin Verma, Dr Anu Verma, Lucy Babo Soares, Jomat Tapel, Fabiola Ximenes, Rui Pinto, and Pedro Guterres.

29/07/2026

Today (29/07), Professor Nitin Verma and Dr Anu Verma, Honorary Consul for Timor-Leste in Tasmania together with the the delegation held a courtesy meeting with His Excellency Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão and members of the Council of Ministers at the Government Palace in Dili.

The purpose of the meeting was to provide an update on the progress and current status of the eye care program in Timor-Leste, including ongoing initiatives, achievements, and future priorities aimed at strengthening access to quality eye care services across the country.

29/07/2026

29/07, we were honoured to have a courtesy meeting with His Excellency Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão and members of the Council of Ministers at the Government Palace in Dili.

The purpose of the meeting is to provide an update on the progress and current status of the eye care program in Timor-Leste.

29/07/2026

Monday, 27/07/26, Professor Nitin Verma and Dr Anu Verma, Honorary Consul with the delegations were honoured to meet with H.E. President Dr José Ramos Horta and his sister

26/07/2026

Professor Nitin Verma, Honorary Consul for Timor-Leste in Tasmania together with the delegation, paid an official visit to Oe-cusse to strengthen connections between Tasmania and Oe-cusse. The visit also aimed to support the local eye clinic in expanding its services and improving access to eye care for the community.

The group photo features Dr Kevin Vandeleur, Professor Mark Radford, Dr Anu Verma, Richard Mounsey, Dr Suzy Amaral, the President of RAEOA, Mr Régio da Cruz Salu, and members of the RAEOA staff.

Thank you very much for your kind hospitality and we look forward to staying in touch.

23/07/2026

Today (23/07), we warmly welcome our two students from Colégio de Sto. Inácio de Loiola, Kasait (CSIL), Alicia da Cruz and Dawe Maria, as they begin their eight-week of exchange study program at MacKillop Catholic College.

Congratulations to Alicia and Dawe on being selected from CSIL's competitive selection process from 15 applicants for this wonderful opportunity. We are proud of your achievement and wish you every success throughout your exchange program.

A warm welcome also to Father Calisto Seco Colo SJ., Director of Colégio de Sto. Inácio de Loiola, Kasait (CSIL).

We wish you all a wonderful and enriching stay in Tasmania.