ABOUT US

Politécnico da Guarda

We are a higher education institution governed by public law, at the service of society, oriented towards the production and dissemination of knowledge, the creation, and transmission of culture and professional knowledge, science, technology, and the arts, through the articulation of study, teaching, guided research, and experimental development.

The Potential of Portugal’s Interior

The previous description would suit any Polytechnic, but we are not just any Polytechnic. Politécnico da Guarda has a particular, and particularly relevant, relationship with the region in which it is located. We are increasingly a centre of regional development, bringing together innovation, discoveries, and this region’s culture, experience, and resources. Some of them, many are not even aware they exist.

We invite all who choose to study, teach, research, work, invest, and collaborate with us for this meeting of past and future, experience and opportunity, in a place that inspires reflection and motivates us into action.

Joaquim Manuel Fernandes Brigas

IN THE INTERIOR, FACING THE FUTURE.

Since its beginnings, Politécnico da Guarda has expressed the character and values of the place where it was born. An interior that lives well with challenges, seeks to overcome and sees adversity as an opportunity to assert itself and grow.

A changing world needs this attitude more than ever.

It needs Pragmatic Dreamers, who, from a new Interior, shape their place in the World. It is for them that Politécnico da Guarda provides the means, knowledge, and tools to fulfil their ambitions.

Students, teachers, researchers, institutions, and companies. The future will demand from them all the maximum of their abilities, creativity, knowledge, and adaptability.

This is our commitment, reaffirmed daily: To help develop the inner potential of each person, each organisation, and each territory.

For the sake of a new interior. For the sake of a new world.

Joaquim Manuel Fernandes Brigas

President

FRUITS OF OUR LABOUR

What moves us is to support, encourage, open, and expand the relations between Politécnico da Guarda and the reality that surrounds us inside and outsider the country.

Our aim is to open the schools of Politécnico da Guarda to the most innovative business groups operating in our economy.

To open Politécnico da Guarda to the needs of protection of the environment, sustainable construction, industry 4.0, social agents, Private Social Solidarity Institutions, health institutions, sports entities, other schools in our region, and the Institute for Employment and Professional Training.
To focus on training new generations of qualified professionals to deal with problems requiring new and efficient responses in very diverse areas.
To be committed to training qualified staff for a more sustainable and productive digital economy.
To invest in preparing highly qualified staff for the health professions.
To continue to expand our skills as the only higher education school in the interior, entirely dedicated to the sciences of Hospitality and Tourism, being increasingly a national reference for sustainable tourism.

IN NUMBERS

STRUCTURE

3 campuses

4 Schools

3 Libraries

11 Research Laboratories

TRAINING OFFER

41 Short Cycle Courses

25 Bachelor Degrees

10 Master’s Degrees

2 Specializations

3 Post Graduations

STAFF

135 professors with a PhD degree

78 teachers with a Master’s degree

39 senior technicians

STUDENTS

+300 in Short Cycle Courses

+2300 in Bachelor Degrees

+380 in Master’s Degrees

+40 in Postgraduate Degrees

40 YEARS OF HISTORY

1980 Publication of Decree-law no. 303/80 of 16 August, creating Instituto Politécnico da Guarda (IPG, Polytechnic Institute of Guarda)
1983 Appointment of the first President of the IPG: Avelino Hermenegildo Passos Morgado
1985 Appointment of the President of the IPG: João Bento Raimundo
1986 The School of Education becomes a part of Politécnico da Guarda
1987 Birth of the School of Technology and Management
1994 Appointment of the third President of the IPG: Alberto Martins da Fonseca
1995 Election of the fourth President of the IPG: Álvaro Bento Leal
1998 Election of the fifth President of the IPG: José Augusto Alves
1999 Birth of the School of Tourism and Telecommunications, in Seia. Currently designated as School of Tourism and Hospitality.
2001 Election of the sixth President of the IPG: Jorge Manuel Monteiro Mendes
2001 The School of Nursing, in the meantime renamed Higher School of Nursing, starts functioning as part of Politécnico da Guarda
2005 With more and better training offers, the Higher School of Nursing becomes the School of Health.
2007 Birth of the Interior Development Research Unit.
Publication of the first issue of the journal “Egitania Sciencia”
2008 Approval of the new statutes of the Politécnico da Guarda, defining the organic structure and governance model in place today.
2010 Election of the seventh President of the IPG: Constantino Mendes Rei
2013 Cooperation Protocol signed with the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Pernambuco (IFPE), Brazil
2014 Cooperation Protocol signed with École Supérieure d’Economie et Techniques de Construction (ECOTEC), France
2015 Cooperation Protocol signed with the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais – PUC Minas
2018 Election of the eighth President of the IPG: Joaquim Manuel Fernandes Brigas

MORE ABOUT THE POLITÉCNICO DA GUARDA

In the Documents Repository, in the Institutional area, you can find the information about what structures Politécnico da Guarda, such as Statutes, Reports and Activity Plans, among others.