Destruction

The main stairwell of the former University (UNTIM) - gutted in the violence of 1999

Almost the entire educational infrastructure in East Timor was looted, smashed and torched in the devastation following the Independence Referendum in 1999.

The University of East Timor, its Agriculture College, the Polytechnic and Nurses Institute were all wiped out, as were most primary and secondary schools. Their buildings, library collections, teaching resources, furnishings, equipment and administrative files were nearly all destroyed.

The new university, UNTL (Universidade Nasional Timor Lorosae) is one of the most important and far-reaching steps being taken in the reconstruction of East Timor. The University will be the primary source of the nation’s future teachers, public servants, government and business leaders and of the skilled technicians who will rebuild the country’s agricultural and technical infrastructure.

The rebuilding process has been a massive exercise, reliant on East Timorese dedication and overseas aid and donations.

The annual budget for the entire education sector in East Timor is less than that of a major University Library in Australia.