University of Tras-os-Montes and Alto Douro

[EduCativ]

Situated in the northeastern city of Vila Real, The University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) became a fully-fledged Public University in 1986, although its history also includes a valuable heritage received from its predecessor, the Vila Real Polytechnic Institute, created in 1973. This Institute took on a relevant role in the development of the region, and in September 1979, it was converted into the Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro Higher Education Institute. It was due to the intense activity in the fields of teaching and scientific and technological research that, less than ten years later, the Government granted its status as a qualified University. Today UTAD is widely recognized as a significant reference in the Portuguese university system.

As specified in its Statutes, UTAD’s core objectives are high-quality Teaching, Research, and Community Outreach, striving to be a Centre of Excellence for lifelong learning and the creation, transmission, and dissemination of culture, science, and technology.

By choosing teaching and research fields that meet the national needs and are not yet exhausted on the labor market, UTAD has earned its rightful place among the new generation of Portuguese universities. UTAD can adapt to new situations, balancing the resources available with modern teaching methods, and being able to propose new ways of learning and distributing scientific knowledge. This flexibility is irrefutable proof of the University’s vitality, which justifies its assertion within the Portuguese University System.

UTAD offers a wide assortment of study programs ranging from graduation to masters and doctorates within different study areas distributed by 5 schools: Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, Human and Social Sciences, Sciences and Technology, Life and Environment Sciences, and Vila Real Higher Education Nursing School. The university also displays an array of duly certified post-graduation and specialization courses that present an opportunity for expanding knowledge and skills, as well as various free courses and preparation courses aimed at gaining admission into the university (students over the age of 23).

To anticipate the future, it is necessary to look upon the path already traveled and evaluate the results achieved. This assessment supports the belief that it’s fundamental to maintain the departmental matrix and the unitary institutional management model that has characterized UTAD since its foundation. This will preserve the University’s complementarity and balance, and help achieve its mission without loss of administrative, scientific, and pedagogical autonomy. The initiatives and activities of UTAD’s offices shall, under the general coordination of the University’s organizational structure, come together in shared projects, financially maintained by a single budget and operationally supported by services.

To fulfill its mission, UTAD is organized into:

• Teaching and research Units – Schools
• Research Units – Research Centres
• Services
• Social Welfare Services

Other units that may be created for the pursuit of University activities.

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