Universitas Terbuka Denpasar Officially Launches, Welcomes 100 Students from Timor Leste
Universitas Terbuka (UT) Denpasar has officially opened its doors and is set to welcome its first batch of 100 international students from Timor Leste. These students have already completed their registration and will begin classes in the upcoming semester.
“The Timor Leste students are ready to start, and their enrollment is confirmed,” said UT Denpasar’s Rector, Mohamad Yunus, following the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
These new students will enroll in five different study programs and will primarily study online from their home country. However, courses that require face-to-face interaction will be held offline, not in Bali but in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), given its closer proximity to Timor Leste.
“NTT is much closer. They just need to cross the border,” Yunus explained.
The initiative to admit Timor Leste students stems from their own request, supported by their proficiency in the Indonesian language—a legacy of Timor Leste’s historical connection as a former province of Indonesia.
“This enrollment is at their own request, and they’re still fluent in Bahasa Indonesia,” Yunus added.
Looking ahead, UT Denpasar plans to expand its offerings to include Indonesian students living abroad, as well as prospective international students in their own home countries.
Agus Tatang Sopandi, Director of UT Denpasar, revealed that since 2020, over 15,000 students from Indonesia and abroad have enrolled at UT Denpasar. Currently, around 3,000 students are actively studying this semester.
The Timor Leste students will be the first international student group attending UT Denpasar. Apart from them, all other international attendees have been Indonesian nationals studying overseas.
“Regarding international students, so far only Indonesians living abroad have enrolled. They come from various countries. The acceptance of foreign students is still in the planning stages,” Agus noted.
Agus emphasized that careful preparations are underway to fully accommodate international students at UT Denpasar, including curriculum development and strengthening faculty resources.
“We plan to offer five study programs for international students, but the exact programs are still being finalized,” he explained.
