Canberra Times (Australia)

November 7, 2003 Friday Final Edition

CIT helps to rebuild Dili counterpart

Sue Butler

Canberra Institute of Technology is coming to the aid of its counterpart in Dili, East Timor, with a support package equivalent to $50,000 in scholarships, training and staff development.The Canberra and Dili institutes of technology have signed a memorandum of understandingover the package. The Dili institute's executive director, Joao Cancio Freitas, said the new school was rising steadily from the ashes of the 1999 East Timor crisis. "There was nothing left after 1999; everything was burnt. Slowly we are rebuilding, but it's a slow process," Dr Freitas said.The school took its first intake in October, 2002, and has more than 300 students enrolled in business, management and engineering courses.

The first of the assistance, some of CIT's superseded machinery and computers, would be sent to DIT later this month."Without the equipment from CIT we have no workshops," Dr Freitas said. "It's critical for our development."ACT and Victorian Rotary clubs had provided money to repair workshop roofs, ready for the arrival of the new equipment.CIT staff would be sent to Dili to provide training.CIT chief executive, Peter Veenker,said staff had embraced the initiative.

President of Friends of Dili, Bruce Sinclair, said they had approached CIT with the proposal in December, 2002.Mr Sinclair said he was amazed at how quickly the idea had been adopted and that positive action was being taken.
 

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