Internationalization

UPB’s internationalization has been a strategic objective since 2006, and over the years various processes and projects have been established that have led to the institution’s establishment at international level and a leading position in the context of national higher education. The internationalization project was designed as an opportunity for the sustainability of the institutional dimension, to which was added its equally fundamental importance for regional impact. Thus, UPB’s internationalization strategy was based on the diversification of projects, including student and staff mobility (focusing on the Erasmus program, bilateral agreements with non-EU countries, with special emphasis on Portuguese-speaking countries, but also including global diversity), attracting students to UPB’s courses and study cycles (including Portuguese-speaking students and others, by offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English), as well as other important international cooperation projects involving research and regional development. The consolidation of the internationalization strategy has allowed the institution to reach its current size, where more than 35% of the student population are non-Portuguese students, and international recognition, for which the double degree projects are an important vehicle for attracting talent. Since 2006, within the scope of the previous Lifelong Learning Program and the current Erasmus+ Program, as well as bilateral cooperation outside the EU, UPB has achieved results that position it as one of the Portuguese HEIs with the greatest international impact.