The University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro is a public university located in the north-east of Portugal in the city of Vila Real.
While the university was formally established in 1986, its heritage can be traced back to the Vila Real Polytechnic institute which was founded in 1973. This original school was important to the development of the area and existed from 1973 to September 1979, when it became the Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro Higher Education Institute.
Owing to the notable work carried out at the institute in the fields of technological and scientific research and teaching, in under a decade after its establishment the government upgraded the status of the institute to a qualified university.
The university comprises four university schools and a polytechnic school, with the majority of buildings being housed in its main campus situated in Vila Real and the rest at the campus in Chaves. It is set in the heart of an “eco-campus” and this incorporates one of the largest botanical gardens in Europe.
The four university schools are: the school of agriculture and veterinary sciences; the school of life and environmental sciences; the school of human and social sciences; and the school of sciences and technology. The final branch of the university is the polytechnic Vila Real Higher School of Nursery. A range of modern facilities, laboratories and libraries are on hand at the institute.
University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro’s motto is “Scientia et Labore Omnia Adipiscere”, which translates to “find science and toil”. This is in-keeping with the university's dedication to expanding scientific knowledge and developing technology in order “to respond to global, national and regional problems”.
