About University Fernando Pessoa
University Fernando Pessoa (UFP) is a private institution created in 1992, as result of the merger of two innovative institutes of higher education. The main purpose of this merger was to give birth to a university dedicated to the development of the “Knowledge Society” through new teaching strategies. We aim at building a different conception of university, where teaching and research are made of real things in real time.UFP currently has over 4000 students attending our faculties of Health Sciences, Science and Technology, and Social and Human Sciences on two separate campi.
Services at UFP
Libraries and Computing Facilities
All students attending the International Summer School will have access
to
UFP’s computing facilities on campus and at the Students’ Hall of
Residence. Students will have access to UFP’s libraries, within their
regular schedules.
Health Services
Doctor’s Office and nursing care
The University provides free medical care for all students. The doctor,
Dr.
Fernando Pinheiro (general medicine and sports medicine) is at the
university
once a week. UFP also offers nursing care (treatments, injections and
others)
which is provided without previous appointment.
Dentistry Clinic
The Dentistry Clinic operates from Monday to Friday at the Faculty of
Health
Sciences and provides services to the public in general.
Furthermore, UFP offers counseling, physiotherapy and logopedics
services.
Sports Activities
The University has a Cultural and Sports Association that organizes
different
sport activities like Handball, Indoor Football, Volleyball, Basketball,
Athletics, Tennis, Table tennis, Capoeira, Martial Arts like Taekwando
etc. If
you are interested, please contact the Association (Nuno Reis) directly:
acd@ufp.edu.pt.
Nursery school
Daycare
facility for preschool-age children of students and staff
Snack Bar and
cafeteria/canteen
The Snack Bar in the main building serves lunch and snacks. It is open
from
Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The cafeteria/canteen at the Faculty
of
Health Sciences offers daily meals (around 5 € for soup, bread,
principal meal,
dessert, salad and water). It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The
Poetry Bar in the new clinics' building offers salads and light meals
between €3 - €4.50 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Copy Centre
The Copy Centre is located in the main building and is open from 9 a.m.
to 8
p.m.
Accommodation
UFP
provides accommodation at its Student’s Hall of Residence located in the
beautiful Foz district, by the seashore of Porto.The Student’s Hall of
Residence has 34 individual rooms and 2 double rooms, with internal
shower, and
is equipped with a shared kitchen, laundry room, storage room, study
room and
informatics room. You can also choose to find your own accommodation.
The
Student’s Hall of Residence is only available to UFP and exchange /
Erasmus
students. If you wish to bring someone with you to Porto, the best
option is to
arrange for accommodation outside the Student’s Hall of Residence.
Portugal
An independent kingdom since 1143, Portugal established its continental frontiers in 1297 and is one of the oldest nations in Europe. Situated on the west side of the Iberian Peninsula, its geographic location along the Atlantic coast soon determined its vocation to the sea. By 1337, Portuguese explorers had reached the Canary Islands. Inspired by Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460), explorers such as Vasco da Gama, Bartolomeu Dias, and Pedro Alvares Cabral made explorations from Brazil to India and Japan. Portugal became a great colonial empire with vast territories in Africa and Latin America and outposts in the Far East. Dynastic disputes led in 1580 to the succession of Philip II of Spain to the Portuguese throne. A revolt ended Spanish hegemony in 1640, and the House of Bragança was established as Portugal's ruling family, lasting until the establishment of the Portuguese Republic in 1910.During the next 16 years, intense political rivalries and economic instability undermined newly established democratic institutions. Responding to pressing economic problems, a military government, which had taken power in 1926, named António Salazar finance minister in 1928, and prime minister in 1932. For the next 42 years, Salazar and his successor, Marcelo Caetano, appointed prime minister in 1968, ruled Portugal as an authoritarian 'corporate' state. Unlike most other European countries, Portugal did not play a combatant role in World War II. It was a charter member of NATO, joining in 1949. In the early 1960s, wars with independence movements in Portugal's African territories began to drain labour and wealth from Portugal. Professional dissatisfaction within the military, coupled with a growing sense of the uselessness of the African conflicts, led to the formation of the clandestine 'Armed Forces Movement' in 1973. The downfall of the Portuguese corporate state came on April 25, 1974, when the Armed Forces Movement seized power and established a provisional military government. The following year Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Four decades of dictatorship have pushed Portugal away from modern progress and Europe's power centres. During the last 20 years, Portugal was able to move in from the periphery, forging new ties with the rest of Europe (Portugal entered the EC [now the EU] in 1986), restructuring its economy and struggling to maintain what is best in its national culture.
Related
Links:
Study in
Portugal
Entry formalities and visa applications
Citizens of the European Union, Andorra,
Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and
Switzerland need only an identity card to enter Portugal.For visits of
less
than 90 days, a passport valid for at least three months after the end
of their
stay is necessary for visitors from Argentina, Australia, Bolivia,
Brazil,
Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador,
Guatemala,
Honduras, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand,
Nicaragua,
Panama, Paraguay, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, United
States,
Uruguay, Vatican, Venezuela and Special Administrative Regions of the
People’s
Republic of China in Hong Kong and Macao.Citizens from countries not
mentioned
above need a visa to enter Portugal, which may be requested at the
Portuguese
Embassy or Consulate of their country for stays of up to 90 days. Under
the
terms of the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement, flights
between
Schengen states are considered to be internal flights and passengers do
not
need to obtain another visa. Please contact the nearest Portuguese
consulate to
be advised on the formalities required for visa applications. It is the
student’s responsibility to apply and obtain a visa in time to start
his/her study period in Porto.
Related links:
Portugal
Official Tourism
Website
Portuguese
embassies
Portuguese
Immigration
Authority
Porto
The city
of Porto is situated
on the right bank of the River Douro, being the second largest city of
the
country. Porto is Portugal’s northern capital.Porto is a city of
contrasts,
with an old section scrambled upon granite bluffs and a new section
which runs
out to sea. Both areas are divided by the Douro River, a distinctive
landmark
spanned by six dramatic bridges. The attraction of the city lies largely
in
this contrast between the prosperous business core of the centre and the
timeless charm of its Ribeira area, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here
the
cobbled warren of steep alleys and passages is alive with bars and
restaurants,
in a setting that appears unchanged for hundreds of years. The origins
of the
urban centre date back to the Late Bronze Age, 8th century BC
approximately.
From the beginning, the pre-historic settlement had important commercial
links
with the Mediterranean Basin. During the Roman occupation, the city was
already
provided with impressive buildings and controlled an important road
network
between Lisbon and Braga. The city was formerly called Cale and later
Portucale, from which the name Portugal was derived. In 1394, the
Infante D.
Henrique was born in this city. He was the "navigator" prince, who
launched the era of the Portuguese discoveries overseas. The inhabitants
of
Porto are known as tripeiros (literally, "tripe eaters"), due to
their sacrifice in order to help the army that conquered Ceuta in 1415.
It is
said that they offered all the good meat to the expeditionary forces and
only
kept the tripe for themselves. That is why one of the city's most
traditional
dishes is "tripas à moda do Porto". The Spanish occupation
(1580-1640) was a period of great urban and administrative development.
Significant artistic changes began in this period and reached their peak
in the
18th century. It is worth mentioning the Baroque style, the best
exponent of
which was the Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni (1725-1773), as well as
several
Portuguese masters, such as António Pereira and Miguel Francisco da
Silva.
Another important change was the urban reform carried out by João de
Almada e
Melo (1757-1786) and the beautiful Neo-classic buildings influenced by
the English
colony in the city. It was also the golden age for the Port wine. Porto
has
always been known as a liberal and progressive city, with a
long-standing
tradition of defence of civil rights. Its population withstood a long
military
siege by the royalist forces between 1832 and 1833. The victory of the
liberal
cause was partly due to the sacrifice of the people, who fought to
support the
Constitutional Chart. As a result of this heroic action, King Pedro IV
described it as the "very noble, undefeated and ever loyal" city of
Porto.
Related links:
Porto tourism
official website
Great Wines Capitals - Porto
Portugal
Reiseführer- Porto
Getting to Porto
Francisco Sá
Carneiro Airport
(OPO) serves Porto and its metropolitan area. The 11km distance between
the
airport and the city centre can be easily overcome by using the direct
light-railway line (Line E of ‘Metro do Porto’), operating from 06h00am
to
01h30am. The journey takes 23 minutes from the Airport to ‘Casa da
Música’
subway station and 28 minutes to ‘Trindade’ central subway
station.Public bus
line 601 departing from the Airport, as well as taxis, can also be used
to
reach the centre of Porto.
For more information about Porto airport please visit http://www.ana.pt.
If you are are not arriving at Porto airport you can reach the city
either by
train or bus (3 hour journey). From Lisbon Oriente train station,
long-distance
trains are available on an hourly basis during daytime, leaving
passengers at
Porto’s transport interface of Campanhã. There is also a large offer of
express
buses in Lisbon connecting the two cities.
Portuguese Railways:http://www.cp.pt
Express Buses:http://www.rede-expressos.pt
Getting to the Student’s Hall of Residence
Either coming from the airport
or from Campanhã train station, you can take the subway to ‘Casa da
Música’ and
from there the bus to our Student’s Hall of Residence, line 204
direction
‘Foz’; leave at the last stop. The residence
is located on Rua Monte da Luz, 12/16 (Foz do Douro).
Getting from the Student’s
Hall of Residence to University Fernando Pessoa by bus:
Direct bus line to UFP: Line 204 (until around 8h30 p.m. everyday)
Bus stop closest to Residence: Foz
Bus stop closest to UFP: Vale Formoso (turn left when exiting the bus,
then
straight ahead and turn left at the last intersection; continue walking
until
you reach “Arca d’Água” garden; the university is on the opposite side
of the
garden).
Direction to UFP: Hospital S. João
Direction to Residence: Foz
Duration: about 40 minutes
Other bus lines to UFP, the city centre and the Student’s Hall of
Residence:
Bus stops closest to UFP: Cintura Interna
From UFP to Aliados (city centre): 304, 600 (also to Metro station
‘Trindade’)
From UFP to Boavista: 704 (also to Metro station ‘Casa da Música’)
From Aliados to Foz (Residence): 200, 500
From Boavista to Foz (Residence): 203, 204
Practical Information
Transportation
Porto is well served by a public bus network and a new light-railway
system.
Timetables, fares and routes can be obtained here: http://www.itinerarium.net
Porto public bus company (STCP) –
http://www.stcp.pt
Metro do Porto – http://www.metrodoporto.pt
Climate and Clothing
Portugal is one of the warmest countries in Europe. Summer months are
usually
sunny and the temperatures quite high during July, with average highs of
28°C
in Porto.
Be prepared for hot days. Occasionally, rainy or windy days might occur.
Dress
code is informal for classes, and cultural activities such as excursions
require comfortable clothing.
Safety
Porto is a relatively safe city. However, as in any other tourist
location,
some basic precautions should be considered: avoid leaving bags or
expensive
items unattended in crowded places; do not walk at night through narrow,
secondary streets in the city centre; do not use ATM machines in
isolated or
poorly lit areas.
Insurance
Participants are highly advised to take travel insurance, for protection
against lost baggage, health emergencies and other situations. The
European
Health Insurance Card (issued by EU member countries, EEE countries and
Switzerland) provides access to health care services in Portugal. Please
be
aware that in some situations you may have to pay for your treatment
when you
are at a hospital and claim this back from your insurance company at a
later
date.
Currency
All payments are made in Euro. Currency exchange can be made at the
airport. To
check exchange rates you can visit http://www.exchangerate.com.
Banking
If you decide to open a bank account, you will need to get a Portuguese
Tax
Identification Number (número de contribuinte); you can do this at Loja
do
Cidadão.Make sure the bank you choose
exempts students from routine fees (most do), and
that it doesn’t charge extra for using its cash machines. Since you will
probably only be in Porto for one or two semesters, we recommend you
don’t
mention that fact. Also, if you plan to bring your own funds, check with
your
bank in your home country before you leave about exchange rates and
transfers
from there.
