Created in 1973, the University of Aveiro quickly became one of the most dynamic and innovative universities in Portugal. Now a public foundation under private law, it continues to develop and implement its mission to provide undergraduate and postgraduate education, generate research, and promote cooperation with society. Attended by about 15,000 students on undergraduate and postgraduate programs, the UA has achieved a significant position amongst higher education institutions in Portugal, being one of the top universities regarding the quality of its infrastructures, the strength of its research, and the excellence of its staff.
The UA is a highly regarded institution of research-led education, constituted by university departments, research units, polytechnic schools, interface units, and a vocational education network. Its integrated structure permits the articulation and harmonization of the teaching and research environments, and enables the construction of individual educational paths, from post-secondary technological specialization programs to doctoral degrees. Teaching activities are developed in a research-based environment, and throughout the academic year, dozens of national and international conferences are organized, generating a dynamic and multicultural atmosphere for students and staff.
The University of Aveiro offers a wide range of degree programs in various areas of knowledge that reflect its multidisciplinary and innovative character and are designed to build student competencies in scientific and technical areas that meet the emerging needs of business, industry, and society. The University’s degree programs are delivered in an atmosphere of research, precision, and quality and are organized in three cycles: the 1st cycle lasts three years and results in a Licenciatura degree the 2nd cycle requires two years to complete a Masters degree and the 3rd cycle takes between three and five years to obtain a Doctorate. In some Engineering fields, the UA offers integrated 1st and 2nd cycle programs called Integrated Masters. Each year, the UA welcomes growing numbers of graduate students, a segment that currently represents just under 35% of the total student population. The recent creation of the Doctoral School, in close articulation with UA’s scientific research, will further this evolution, which reflects the need for qualification and specialization.
The UA is a privileged partner of companies and other national and international entities, with which it cooperates on various projects and programs and for which it provides important services. As a quality research institution, the University of Aveiro develops solutions and innovative products that contribute to technological, scientific, cultural, and social improvement.
Excellence in research is one of the hallmarks of the University: 15 of its 18 research units were classified as Very good or Excellent by international panels under the sponsorship of the Portuguese National Science Foundation in its most recent round of assessments. Four of these units carry the label of Associate Laboratory, a distinction attributed by the Portuguese Government to research institutions of sustained and exceptional merit.
Research at the UA promotes innovative products and solutions, contributing to the advance of science and technology. It is a privileged partner for companies and other national and international organizations with which it cooperates on numerous projects and for which it provides important services. During 2010, UA was active in 369 research and technology transfer projects, of which 32 were financed by international and European programs, mainly FP6 and FP7. These projects were developed in different scientific areas: cellular biology ceramics and composite materials design education and behavioral sciences electronics and telematics engineering environmental and marine sciences geo-technologies and geoengineering governance, competitiveness and public policy languages and cultures technologies and science of communication mathematics and applications mechanical technology and automation music and dance nanostructures, nano modeling and nanomanufacturing organic chemistry and telecommunications.
The UA’s mission is to create knowledge and expand access to knowledge through research, education, and cooperation for the benefit of people and society to undertake the project of global development of the individual to be active in the construction of a European research and education community and to promote a model of regional development based on innovation and scientific and technological knowledge.
The University of Aveiro has accepted the challenge of reaching a position of international renown, and its strategy entails the production of knowledge in collaboration with foreign partners, the definition of a policy of alliances and the identification of priority geographical areas for collaboration, the recruitment of international-level talent (teachers, researchers, and students), and the increase in the cross-national visibility through the promotion of events and the reinforcement of the presence and representation of the UA in international bodies.
The University of Aveiro is an innovative university, a pioneer in the promotion of entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer and the conversion of this into economic value. The Departments and Schools, Research Units, and Interface Units are available to businesses, offering specialized services and/or promoting the scientific and technological competencies which exist at the UA.
The mission of UATEC, the University’s technology transfer unit, is to support the protection and management of intellectual property and its commercial enhancement, to promote entrepreneurship, and to support the promotion of corporate innovation by matching the needs of companies with the knowledge and skills of UA researchers. The business incubator, IEUA, promotes the creation and development of innovative business-related and technology-based projects, acting also as a stimulus for entrepreneurship and a management service supplier to the incubators of the region.
