Host
University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD)
UTAD was established in 1986 in Vila Real, representing the culmination of a process for the installation of higher education in the interior North of Portugal, iniated in 1973 with the Polytechnic Institute of Vila Real, followed by, in 1979, the University Institute of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro. Currently, UTAD is organized into four university schools ─ School of Agrarian and Veterinarian Sciences (ECAV); School of Humanities and Social Sciences (ECHS); School of Sciences and technology (ECT); School of Environmental and Life Sciences (ECVA); and the School of Nursing in Vila Real (ESEnfVR). Also, it includes eight research centers, which are important centres for creation and diffusion of science, technology, innovation and culture: Animal and Veterinary Science Centre (CECAV); Centre of Studies and Research on Security and Defense of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (CEISDTAD); Humanities Research Centre (CEL); Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies (CETRAD); Research Centre for Sport, Health and Human Development (CIDESD); Research Centre on Agri-Environmental and Biological Technologies (CITAB); Research Centre of Mathematics (CM) and the Chemistry Centre (CQ). With the exception of ESEnfVR, all these teaching and research structures are based within a campus with 120 ha, housing a Botanical Garden of UTAD, one of the largest in Europe, with a collection that amounts to about 1000 plant species. The UTAD has had since its genesis a preponderant role in the production of knowledge within rural areas, and boosting regional development through a relevant and recognized presence in many areas of research, teaching and extension in the community.
Centre of Transdisciplinary Development Studies (CETRAD)
CETRAD is based at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD) in Vila Real, Northeast Portugal, and at the Instituto Universitário de Maia, on the Atlantic coast near the country’s second largest city of Porto. The Centre is evaluated, validated and partly-financed by Portugal’s Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). It has over 50 researchers with Ph.D.s and is the only Portuguese research centre that focuses exclusively on rural, regional and local development. Some centres share its interests, but not its inter-disciplinarity. And others display its inter-disciplinarity, but address different concerns. Still others focus on more technical aspects without reference to key economic, socio-cultural, management and policy contexts that rural livelihoods are embedded, and forms the main focus of the Centre's work. In collaboration with its networks of partner organizations, CETRAD focuses on these issues in an innovative manner, basing its approach upon core values of inter-, multi-and trans-disciplinarities, stakeholder participation, and beneficiary empowerment. The Centre has regional, national and increasingly international visibility in its field, based on its proven expertise, extensive networking, high quality publications on priority issues and its design of practical solutions for development problems wherever they manifest themselves.
Department of Economic, Sociology and Management (DESG)
The DESG is one of three departments within the Humanities and Social Sciences School (ECHS) at the UTAD. Its mission is to ensure and encourage the intellectual and professional training of their students in order to prepare them for working life and citizenship; to produce, consolidate and disseminate knowledge, as well as to promote cooperation and exchanges with other national and international institutions; contributing to the development of the populations that it serves through the provision of services to the community, the promotion of social intervention and cultural and scientific projects. As regards to the eduactional programme, the DESG has direct responsibility for four 1st cycle courses (Economics, Management, Social Service and Tourism), four 2nd cycle courses (Economics and Management Sciences; Management; Management of Health services; Social Service), and a postgraduate course (Accounting and Finances). The DESG collaborates with several other courses at UTAD (distributed by different levels of training-1st, 2nd and 3rd cycle), through the teaching of a set of curricular modules within its scientific scope. Research plays a crucial role in the activities of the Department. In this context, the DESG is associated to the Centre of Transdisciplinary Development Studies (CETRAD).
