About Us
Mission
“The University’s mission shall be the creation, dissemination and application of knowledge, under the spirit of freedom of thought and plural critical judgements, through the promotion of higher education and the construction of a society paradigm based on humanistic principles, and having knowledge, creativity and innovation as cornerstones for growth, sustainable development, welfare and solidarity”.
Nature
The University of Minho, is a legal person governed by public law, which shall autonomously draw up its own by-laws and shall enjoy scientific, cultural, administrative, economic, financial and disciplinary autonomy.
Objectives
The mission shall be fulfilled within an international reference framework, based primarily on research and on its close articulation with teaching, by accomplishing the following goals:
- Human training at the highest level covering ethical, cultural, scientific, artistic, technical and professional aspects through a diversified educational provision, the creation of a proper learning environment, the valorisation of the activity developed by teaching, research as well as non-teaching and non-research staff, and personal, social, intellectual and professional development of its students, thus contributing to lifelong learning and to the exercise of an active and responsible citizenship.
- Research development and participation in scientific institutions and events, fostering a permanent quest for excellence, encouraging creativity as a source of innovative and unique solutions as well as a search for answers to the major challenges faced by society.
- Transfer, exchange and valorisation of scientific and technological knowledge resulting from the development of applied solutions; the rendering of services to the community; the promotion of initiatives in the context of lifelong education; and the development of supporting actions, all of which should be based upon reciprocal valorisation and entrepreneurship.
- Promotion of activities that provide access to cultural assets so that they can be enjoyed by every person and group, both internal and external to the University.
- Cultural, scientific and technical exchange, with both national and international institutions and organisms through the mobility of students, teaching staff as well as non-teaching and non-researching staff; the development of learning and research programmes based on the establishment of partnerships; the contribution to international cooperation, particularly with Portuguese speaking countries; and the creation of a multilingual environment at the University.
- Interaction with society by contributing to the public understanding of culture, of the analysis and the presentation of proposals to address the main problems of daily life, as well as establishing partnerships in order to promote social and economic development at regional, national and international levels.
- Contribution to the social and economic development of the region and to the exploration, preservation and dissemination of its natural and cultural heritage.
- Promotion of the University’s institutional sustainability and competitiveness in a global context.
Research
Among the research centres at the University that have been positively assessed by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), eight have been classified as Very Good and there are a further nine with the classification of Excellent. Approximately 80% of the researchers at the University are integrated in the research centres that received the aforementioned classification.
Research Centres funded by FCT
Sciences
- Plant Functional Biology Centre (CBFP))
- Molecular and Environmental Biology Centre (CBMA)
- Physics Centre (CF)
- Centre of Mathematics (CMAT)
- Chemistry Centre (CQ)
- Earth Sciences Centre (NCT)
- Centre of Geological Research, Management and Valorisation of Resources (CIG-R)
Health Sciences
Social Sciences
- Communication and Society Research Centre (CECS)
- Social Sciences Research Centre (CICS)
- Transdisciplinary Research Centre «Culture, Space and Memory» (CITCEM)
Arts and Human Sciences
Psychology
Law- Centre of Studies in European Union Law
- Human Rights Interdisciplinary Research Centre
- Municipal Law Research Unit
Economics and Management
- Centre for Research on Public Policy and Administration (NEAPP)
- Research Unit in Political Science and International Relations (NICPRI)
- Applied Microeconomics Research Unit (NIMA)
- Economic Policies Research Unit (NIPE)
- Research in Marketing and Strategy Centre (iMARKE)
Education
- Research Centre in Education (CIEd)
- Research Center in Child Studies (CIEC)
- Research Centre for Training of Child Education Professionals (CIFPEC)
Engineering
- Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics Research Group (3 B’s) — IBB Associated Laboratory
- Centre ALGORITMI (CAlg)
- Computer Science and Technology Centre (CCTC)
- Centre for Textile Science and Technology (2C2T)
- Centre of Biological Engineering (BEC) — IBB Associated Laboratory
- Centre for Mechanical and Materials Technologies (CT2M)
- Territory, Environment and Construction Centre (C-TAC)
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Production Technology and Energy (CITEPE)
- Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE)
- Institute for Polymers and Composites (IPC) — I3N Associated Laboratory