universities in Indonesia in 1988. Its work organizing the resistance led to many of its leaders being jailed. While RENETIL was clandestine, IMPETTU was a legal organisation for East Timorese students in Indonesia. In 1997, Indonesian military opened fire at UNTIM, causing damage to the university building and wounding some students. Many were arrested. Students began to speak up, writing protest letters to the UN and the international community demanding an independent investigation. In June 1998, 17 days after Soeharto resigned, the East Timor Students Solidarity Council (ETSSC) was formed as an open body representing the views of UNTIM students, academics and high school students. ETSSC focused on empowering ordinary East Timorese in political and community development. The Council organised public meetings, demonstrations and dialogues. When the UN mission arrived in East Timor in mid-1999, the Students Solidarity Council set up regional offices in all of East Timor's thirteen regions. Over 3,000 students established regional education centres and disseminated information about human rights and conducted voter education, often in areas too remote to be reached by the United Nations. Many ETSSC students were attacked and at times killed by Indonesian military and pro-integration militia. Since the ballot and the devastation in 1999, members have been involved in community activities including teaching in primary schools, providing capacity building workshops and community study groups, and rebuilding secondary schools. ETSSC's Student Resource Centre (SRC) provided language and computer skills training, Tetum training for NGO workers, social, cultural and environmental research and media monitoring projects for the many tertiary students who had their education interrupted. ETSSC, IMPETTU and RENETIL continue to work to secure a democratic future for East Timor through education and training, community development, participation in the election process and other nation building programs. Institutional agreements UNTL preserves strong cooperation with Brazilian universities, mainly with the University for International Integration of the Afro-Brazilian Lusophony (UNILAB), an institution that absorbs most of the teaching and research fellows from Timor. UNILAB also cooperates on matters of administrative and technical experience. Rectors Armindo Maia – November 17, 2000 to September 19, 2001; – September 19, 2001 to December 1, 2010; Aurélio Sérgio Cristóvão Guterres – December 1, 2010 to January 13, 2016; – January 13, 2016 to January 18, 2021; – January 19, 2021 – present. Notable faculty Brigida Antónia Correia - lecturer in agricultural science & MP Recognized graduate References External links Universidade Nacional