Portuguese Catholic University
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Established | 1967 |
|---|---|
| Type | Private University |
| Location | Lisbon, Oporto, Braga, Viseu and Figueira da Foz, Portugal |
| Website | www.ucp.pt |
The Portuguese Catholic University (UCP – Universidade Católica Portuguesa, pron. IPA: [univɨɾsi'dad(ɨ) kɐ'tɔlikɐ puɾtu'gezɐ]) is a private university of the Catholic Church, in Portugal. UCP has a regional structure. Although it is just one university, it is made up of four major regional centres, Beiras, Braga, Lisbon (the headquarters) and Porto. Today UCP consists of 18 faculties, schools and institutes, which are the basic education and research units.
[edit] History
The Universidade Católica Portuguesa was established in 1967 by decree of the Holy See (Lusitanorum Nobilissima Gens), at the request of the Portuguese Bishops' conference and under Concordat Law. So it was founded in 1967 and gained official recognition in 1971.
Its first constituent Faculty was the Jesuit-owned and run Faculty of Philosophy of Braga (Northern Portugal). However, the University was soon extended to Lisbon where it opened, in 1968, the Faculty of Theology and, in 1971, the Faculty of Human Sciences.
The Portuguese government's official recognition of UCP occurred in 1971, via decree-law 307/71, which acknowledged the Catholic University as on a par with the other Portuguese universities and conferred on the degrees it grants - presently licenciado, mestre and doutor, - the same value and the same effects as those awarded by State universities.
The creation of the University, the fulfilment of a 40-year dream of the Portuguese Church, constitutes a milestone in modern higher education in Portugal: for the first time the State was not directly involved in and responsible for a university. As had been the case in the 16th and 17th centuries, in the renowned Universities of Coimbra and Évora, the Church was given the opportunity to contribute decisively to the higher education of young people, by offering them, along with academic and scientific excellence, an overall education based on the principles and values of Christianity.
The late 1970s and 1980s saw the establishment and development in Portugal of a privately owned sector in higher education (including both universities and polytechnics). Within that context, there has been a generalised acceptance of the distinctive position held by the Catholic University - a public, non-State and non-profit-seeking institution.
Nowadays, and following the general trend in Portugal and abroad, UCP enjoys a large degree of autonomy in the creation and running of new campuses, faculties and courses.
