Located in Covilhã, a city traditionally associated with the textile industry, the University of Beira Interior had its origin in the Polytechnic Institute of Covilhã, created in 1973, which became the University Institute of Beira Interior in 1979, and a University in 1986.
The University of Beira Interior is recognized for its education and research in the various areas of knowledge. Five faculties – Sciences, Engineering, Social Sciences and Humanities, Arts and Literature, and Health Sciences – operate in buildings of high historical, cultural, and architectural value, in four centers distributed throughout the city. Former factories have been converted into modern facilities for education and research. The philosophy of this institution, which emphasizes respect for its past, has contributed significantly to the rehabilitation of the city’s and the region’s built heritage, leading to the creation of structures such as the Wool Museum, housed in the Pombaline Real Fábrica dos Panos, and the recovery of an old 16th century Franciscan convent to house the Rectory.
Always committed to quality, UBI has invested in the creation of well-equipped laboratories, in the expansion of facilities, in libraries and other structures in order to provide the best teaching and learning conditions to students. At UBI, the offer of a human, cultural, scientific and technological education meets very good conditions for those seeking more than a mere diploma. With a qualified faculty, the progressive involvement of the entire academic community in research projects, both nationally and internationally, has been assuming increasing relevance in the visibility of the academy.
The internationalization of our institution is another major priority of the University of Beira Interior. Attracting students from Portuguese-speaking countries is already a reality, to which have greatly contributed the various agreements with educational and research institutions from these countries.
However, we intend to broaden this dynamic even more in order to cover more countries and cultures. The international student statute, approved by the Government in 2014, is an important tool for the internationalization of Portuguese higher education and UBI has embraced from the very first hour the project of attracting students from all over the world, both undergraduate and postgraduate.
The University of Beira Interior is a solid university with a vision for the future. It is committed to the region where it is located, in the Beira Interior region, between the Tagus and the Douro. It is a commitment to development, to more and better investment, to the creation of more jobs, to a better qualified population, to attracting young people from other countries, and to bringing more of the world to the region and to the country.
