The University of Bolton is set to widen its international reach through a new partnership with Asia’s youngest nation, East Timor.

On Monday 3 June 2013 a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed, marking a commitment by the University and Education East Timor to develop academic and commercial collaboration.
Students from East Timor will be able to study at the University of Bolton and there will be future opportunities for student exchange with education institutions in the Southeast Asian country. There are also plans for collaboration in research and consultancy services.

To mark the important event there will be a lecture at the University, titled ‘The Judicial System of East Timor – Causes, Effects and Influences’, by The Minister of Justice for East Timor, by Dr Dionisio Babo Soares, held in the Law Court, Senate House, University of Bolton. Among the VIP guests attending the event will be the Ambassador for East Timor, Luis Corte-Real; Consul General for Portugal, Manuel do Vale; High Sheriff of Greater Manchester (2012-13), George Almond OBE OStJ DL and the Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Colin Shaw.

East Timor became the world’s newest democracy in 2002 and was a Portuguese colony until the mid-1970s. It was subsequently occupied by Indonesia until 1999 and there then followed a period of United Nations peacekeeping operation until East Timor gained independence in 2002. The country continues to suffer the after effects of its struggle for independence, which damaged the infrastructure and displaced thousands of civilians. Currently, East Timor is poised to make considerable inward investments, through oil and gas reserves, particularly to support the higher education of its citizens.
Dr Soares gained a PhD in anthropology from the Australian National University. His research focused on the political and social developments in East Timor during the preparation for independence between 1999 and 2002. Dr Soares was sworn in on 8 August 2012 as East Timor’s new Minister of Justice.