Timor-Leste is one of the world’s youngest democracies. Having emerged out of years of conflict, it is a nation poor when measured in GDP, but rich in human resources. My fellow Nobel Prize winner, the remarkable José Ramos-Horta, invited me to Timor-Leste in 2013, when I got my first taste of the country.

As part of that visit, I met Curt Gabrielson for the first time. He translated my talk about cosmology to a few hundred teachers, who were assembled from across the country to learn about teaching science. His translation, in Tetun, connected humanity’s understanding of the universe to many of the nation’s science teachers. Some had felt this feat would not be possible in Tetun, but it was done to great effect, as we were able to see from the reactions of the teachers.

I returned to Timor-Leste in 2017 for Ramos-Horta’s Nobel Prize celebration—one of several laureates this time. On this trip, I witnessed the diligence and perseverance of the Timorese to learn whatever is necessary to make their nation grow and develop despite the incredible obstacles and hardships they’ve faced. Great progress over those four years gave me great confidence in the future.

On this trip, Curt arranged to have me speak a few words on record to support the new curriculum the Ministry of Education had created for primary and junior high schools. This is the first truly indigenous curriculum Timor-Leste has had, and it is full of hands-on lessons that link the concepts being taught to the daily life and experiences of the Timorese. It is exactly what is required to help teach the young generation the skills they will need to prosper in the future.

This book of activities from Curt and his group of science and mathematics teachers in Timor-Leste draws primarily from the topics developed for that new curriculum. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn more hands-on science and to learn more about the world around us.

I’m happy to see Curt using the rich science and mathematics of Timor-Leste to increase the quality and effectiveness of schooling there. In this way, the Timorese can be a model for the entire global education community. Well done, Curt! And I look forward to our next visit.

Brian P. Schmidt

2011 Nobel Laureate in Physics

Vice Chancellor and President, Australian National University