UNAIR NEWS – Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) hosted a visit and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a delegation from Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL). The event took place warmly in the Balairung Plenary Hall, 4th Floor of the Management Office, MERR-C Campus, UNAIR, Thursday (September 17, 2026).
The bilateral meeting was attended in person by UNAIR Rector Prof Dr Muhammad Madyan MFin, along with UNAIR’s vice rectors, deans, and directors. The UNTL delegation was led by UNTL Rector Prof Dr Joviano António da Costa MEng, together with the university’s leadership and delegation members.
Historical ties and shared commitment
In his remarks, Prof Madyan expressed pride and joy at the UNTL delegation’s arrival at Ksatria Airlangga Campus. He emphasized that UNAIR and UNTL share historical and geographical ties as universities in Southeast Asia committed to advancing global education.
“UNAIR and UNTL share the same commitment to developing education, research, innovation, and community service. Today’s signing of this Memorandum of Understanding reflects the continuation of the strong relationship and collaboration already built between our two institutions,” Prof Madyan said.
Through this commitment, Prof Madyan expressed hope that the synergy between the two universities could continue to grow across a wide range of collaborative opportunities, ranging from student and faculty mobility, joint research, academic publications, and curriculum development, to improving academic quality and advancing innovation and entrepreneurship.
“We believe universities serve not only as centers for developing knowledge, but also as bridges connecting societies, cultures, and nations,” he added.
Opening new chapter of concrete collaboration
UNTL Rector Prof Dr Joviano António da Costa MEng expressed his deepest appreciation to the UNAIR Rector and the wider leadership team for the warm welcome. He said the signing of the MoU symbolizes both continuity and a stronger, more practical new beginning for both universities.
“The collaboration between UNTL and Universitas Airlangga has a long track record across various fields. Today’s MoU signing provides a broader framework for joint research and community service,” Prof Joviano said.
He added that for UNTL, the most important step now is turning the agreement into real, tangible implementation. “This MoU must not simply become a document that sits in a filing cabinet,” he said.
This collaboration, he continued, must be carried out through concrete activities that benefit students, lecturers, researchers, and the wider community. “As fellow members of the ASEAN region, our universities play a key role in strengthening people-to-people ties and building a more connected ASEAN community,” he said.
Author: Fauziah Laili Romadhon
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
