A YOUNG INSTITUTION IN A YOUNG CITY
Braga is one of the youngest cities in Europe (considered the youngest city in Europe in 1989), making it a dynamic and energetic city. The district of Braga shows development and quality of life standards quite above the national average, only surpassed by the regions of Greater Porto and Greater Lisbon.
Braga offers unique cultural and leisure opportunities in the country, with its nightlife, cinemas, theatres, exhibitions, museums and art galleries. It is a city full of culture and traditions, where history and religion coexist side by side with the technology industry and academic life.
The University of Minho is a vibrant young Portuguese university. Founded in 1973, its academic activity started in 1974. There are three campi: Gualtar Campus (in Braga), Azurém Campus and Couros Campus (in Guimarães).
As recognition of its quality, the UMinho has risen, year after year, among the top universities in the world in the Times Higher Education 150 Under 50 (THE), i.e. a ranking of the top 150 universities under 50 years old. The University of Minho, is also a front runner in the renowned CWTS Leiden Ranking that measures quality and impact of scientific production worldwide.
An international institution
The University of Minho has a strong policy for internationalisation, which is reflected in its main lines of action – education, research and innovation, and interaction with the society.
Regarding education, through its interaction with more than 80 countries and 400 universities around the world, UMinho is very active in the recruitment of international students, in mobility programs, in the establishment of degrees in association, and in distance learning, vectors that allow for the internationalisation of its educational offer.
There is a great concern with welcoming and integrating new students as best as possible, as older students are made aware of this issue. There are also a series of initiatives, such as visits, welcome sessions and others, meant to facilitate the initiation of students in academic life. One of the goals is to make the professor-student relationship as close and open as possible, as that makes for a decisively better learning process.
A cultural institution
In this context, it is important to point out the various cultural, associative and sports activities developed by students through their students’ groups, tunas [musical group of university students], folk music, poetry and fado, among many others. Students also have access to medical and psychological support, as well as over 40 different sports, such as aerobics, weight lifting, athletics, basketball, horseback riding, football, judo, climbing, swimming, water polo, rugby, tennis, karting, and many more.