Established in 1988, Universidade Aberta (UAb) is the single public distance education university in Portugal. Due to its purpose, UAb uses comprehensively, in its teaching activities, the most advanced technologies and methods of Distance Learning, without geographical borders or physical barriers, and giving special emphasis to the expansion of the Portuguese language and culture within the Lusophone space (migrant communities and Portuguese-speaking countries).
In this context, UAb offers higher education anywhere in the world (Undergraduate, Master and Doctorate degrees) and Lifelong Learning study programs. Since 2008, all programs are taught in e-learning mode, the year that UAb became a European institution of reference in the area of advanced e-learning and online learning through the recognition of its exclusive Virtual Pedagogical Model.
Part of its duties are to conduct research, to support the participation of its teachers and researchers in scientific institutions and to promote cooperation and cultural, scientific and technical exchange with similar national and foreign institutions.
UAb currently hosts different research units: the Distance Education and e-Learning Lab (LEaD) dedicated to distance education, innovation and ICT; the Center for the Study of Migration and Intercultural Relations (CEMRI); and the CIPSH Chair of Global Studies.
It also promotes the exchange of knowledge with the academic world, through the institutional hosting of PhD students and masters, research fellows, sharing of scientific equipment, besides carrying out several national and international scientific projects led by researchers from UAb.
UAb also intervenes, together with other institutions, in student training to develop research projects and to provide services to the community.
For carrying out the tasks and responsibilities of its activities, UAb has highly qualified human resources in the areas of Science and Technology; Social Sciences and Management; Education and Distance Learning; Humanities.
