Professor Jes Sammut from the UNSW Aquaculture Research Group and Professor Greg Leslie, Director of the UNSW Global Water Institute recently travelled to Timor-Leste to identify opportunities for UNSW to support sustainable aquaculture development in the region.
The exploratory visit was undertaken at the request of President José Ramos-Horta and builds on the . Timor-Leste is one of Australia’s closest neighbours, with a shared history and strong people-to-people links. UNSW has a longstanding connection with Timor-Leste, most notably through the University’s ongoing support for the .
UNSW’s engagement with government, academia, the UN, and civil society in Timor-Leste is part of the University’s broader effort of “strategic accompaniment” to achieve impact and stand out as a leading university, beyond cohering research and teaching investments. Supported by the , the harnessing of STEM capabilities, such as UNSW’s world leading expertise in aquaculture, at the intersection of security, politics, and development in the geography of vulnerable and high-risk states such as Timor-Leste; is a key element of that strategic accompaniment.
The visit was and more detail is available in a story published on .