About University Fernando PessoaUniversity 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 UFPLibraries and Computing Facilities AccommodationUFP 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. PortugalAn 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: Entry formalities and visa applicationsCitizens 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. PortoThe 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.
Portuguese Railways:http://www.cp.pt Express Buses:http://www.rede-expressos.pt Getting to the Student’s Hall of ResidenceEither 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). Practical InformationTransportation
Climate and Clothing |
Welcome Guide: UFP and beyond |