From today on, our RUN-EU partner, the Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave (IPCA), officially becomes the Polytechnic University of Cávado and Ave (UPCA), following Portugal’s revised Legal Framework for Higher Education Institutions (RJIES).

The change follows the publication of Law No. 32/2026 in the Portuguese Official Gazette, introducing the automatic transition of Polytechnic Institutes into Polytechnic Universities, provided they hold unconditional institutional accreditation awarded by the Portuguese Agency for Assessment and Accreditation of Higher Education (A3ES).

With this transition, UPCA joins a select group of Portuguese higher education institutions to attain university status under the new legislative framework, further strengthening its position within Portugal’s higher education landscape.

In a message to the academic community, President Alexandra Malheiro described the new designation as recognition of IPCA’s institutional development and of the quality of the work carried out by the institution over recent years. She further noted that the change reinforces the university’s mission and responsibility towards its students, graduates, staff, partners and society.

The new institutional status comes at a significant moment for the university. On the same day the legislation was published, IPCA’s General Council approved the institution’s Strategic Plan for the next four years, establishing the roadmap for the development of the newly designated Polytechnic University of Cávado and Ave.

As a RUN-EU member, UPCA continues to contribute to the alliance’s mission of strengthening regional innovation, advancing collaborative education and research, and creating new opportunities for students, staff and regional stakeholders across Europe.