University of Aberta

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 Lusophony 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 that all programs are taught in elearning mode, the year that UAb became an European institution of reference in the area of advanced elearning and online learning through the recognition of its exclusive Virtual Pedagogical Model.

In 2010, UAb has been awarded the Prize EFQUEL by the European Foundation for Quality in Elearning and certified with the UNIQUe Quality Label for the use of ICT in Higher Education (Universities and Institutes). In the same year, UAb was also qualified by an international panel of independent experts as the reference institution for teaching in elearning system in Portugal.

Within the European levels of excellence framework, the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) distinguished UAb with the 1st Level of Excellence Committed to Excellence (C2E) in 2011. In 2016, UAb’s commitment to quality has been recognized again by EFQM that distinguished the University with 4 Stars in the 2nd Level of Excellence Recognized for Excellence (R4E).

The information security of the learning platform of Universidade Aberta has been certified by the Portuguese Association of Certification (APCER) with the ISO/IEC 27001 in 2017.

In 2019, the UAb became first Portuguese University to be distinguished by good practices in the areas of innovation and sustainability in higher education, having received the Bronze Seal awarded by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

Universidade Aberta was awarded the Honorary Membership of the Order of Merit by the President of the Portuguese Republic on the 29th November 2018.

In 2008 Universidade Aberta became a reference European institution in the area of advanced elearning and online learning through the recognition of its Virtual Pedagogical Model, unprecedented in Portugal and developed by this institution around four cornerstones: student-centered learning, flexibility, interaction and digital inclusion. Since then all degrees and lifelong learning courses are available online and make use of those methodologies and tools.

“The advances in technology have been driving distance education to find new teaching and learning methodologies, rethinking the technological mediation characteristic of distance education programs in terms of new forms of interaction, particularly the interaction among students. The new means of communication through the web allows us to set up new virtual learning contexts, where both directional (teacher-student) and multidirectional (student-teacher and student-student) communication is possible (one-to-one, one-to-many and many-to-many communication). We can, therefore, create virtual classes where students and teachers interact at anytime from anywhere. This approach, going beyond instructional methods and tasks, requires the adoption of pedagogical strategies that engage students as active participants, leading them to develop metacognitive skills (learning to learn) and take a constructive attitude regarding their capacity of self-realization towards lifelong learning, becoming more and more autonomous and being able to interact responsibly in group.”

One of the strategic areas of Universidade Aberta (UAb) is the cooperation with other higher education institutions (HEI), the civil society and the business world.

Fostering the scientific, technical and cultural exchanges with similar national and international institutions is a goal of utmost importance at UAb. Over the years, UAb has established hundreds of protocols and partnerships with national and foreign institutions with special focus on research and development activities, especially in the area of distance education and elearning.

Worldwide, UAb is present in different international networks in Europe, Africa, America and Asia. It covers mostly the Portuguese-speaking area, including Macau. Within the European space, it promotes mobility within the framework of the Erasmus+ Program and participates in different R&D projects. Within the Portuguese-speaking space, UAb is a member of the Association of Portuguese-language Universities and of the Lusophone Network for Distance Education by hosting one of its Distance Education Centre – CE@D. It should be noted the list of protocols & partnerships established with higher education institutions and companies as well as the activities carried out in East Timor (training of teachers, educational agents and officials of the Timorese public administration). In Asia, UAb was a founding member of the International Asia Open University, offering degree programs and post-graduate degrees in Chinese, English and Portuguese.