KTJ Alumnus Anuj’s Inspiring Encounter with Nobel Laureate and President of East Timor

Two years ago, Anuj wrote an essay on climate refugees for Oxford Royale, focusing on the story of Ioane Teitiota and the global fight for climate justice. During his research, he learned about President Ramos-Horta’s lifelong dedication to human rights and peacebuilding — and dreamt of meeting him one day.

Now a first-year student in Taylor’s University’s new Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) programme, Anuj was thrilled to see that dream come true. Alongside HE President Ramos-Horta, the session was also attended by HE Dato Amarjit Singh Sarjit Singh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Malaysia to Timor-Leste, Taylor’s Group Chairman Teik Ngan Loy, and Vice Chancellor Barry Winn.

Reflecting on the experience, Anuj shared that the two-hour dialogue provided valuable insights into leadership, resilience, and purpose, encouraging him to reflect deeply on his future career path.

He also expressed appreciation to his lecturers — Dr. Deboshree Ghosh, Dr. Julia Roknifard, and Dr. Alexey Zhavoronkov — for their dedication in shaping the university’s inaugural PPE cohort.

Despite early challenges in securing overseas scholarships, Anuj says Taylor’s University has provided him with “a renewed sense of hope and endless opportunities” — echoing the KTJ motto to always #MakeItWithKTJ. 

Anuj hints that there are more exciting developments to come as he continues documenting his journey and reflections in what he calls his “circular manifestation series.”

This article is adapted from Anuj’s original post shared on LinkedIn on 28 October 2025.