Partners

Tampere University of Applied Sciences is a multidisciplinary and international higher education university located in the Tampere Region in Finland. TAMK has around 10,000 undergraduate students. TAMK’s expertise ranges from engineering to health and social care and creativity, with special emphasis on practically oriented education and R&D activities. TAMK’s profile both as a modern and dynamic education institution as well as an active project actor allows for genuine, long-lasting and confidential partnerships with companies and SMEs, as well as with public and third sector organisations.

With more than 18500 students Polytechnic of Porto (IPP) is the largest Polytechnic institution of higher education in Portugal. IPP has a highly dynamic research activity in a global context. IPP stands out for its interdisciplinary context, with 8 Schools covering a wide spectrum of areas, from Engineering (ISEP) to Music and Performing Arts (ESMAE), Education (ESE), Accounting and Administration (ISCAP), Management and Technology (ESTGF), Allied Health Technology (ESS), Media Arts and Design (ESMAD), and Hospitality and Tourism (ESHT).

Established in 1990, the University of Vigo (hereinafter, “UVIGO”) has managed to consolidate itself in time as a reference of modernity and innovation in Galicia. With more than 25,000 students, its three campuses at Ourense, Pontevedra and Vigo offer degree programmes in the fields of science, humanities, technology and legal-social. These ones are distributed over nearly 30 centers where 240 research groups carry out their RDI activities.

The University of Salamanca – usal.es – founded in 1218, is a medium sized university with over thirty thousand students. It is the second most popular university in the country for students wanting to study outside their home districts. In the year 1218 king Alfonso IX of Leon founded the University of Salamanca, which is considered to be the oldest Spanish universities in existence. The University of Salamanca has more than 30,000 students.

AEP – Portuguese Business Association, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, founded in 1849, is headquartered in the city of Porto. As Chamber of Commerce and Industry, AEP develops a number of actions designed, not only to provide the entrepreneurial community with services in areas such as trade fairs and exhibitions, conferences, information and support to companies, consulting, vocational training, trade missions, business promotion and investment, defense of the interests and representation of the associate members, but also to heighten the role of business associations both at national and international level. Today, AEP has approximately 3100 indirect associate companies and 1613 direct associate members, covering 458130 workers. AEP has been a privileged partner of the governments in the discussion of issues relevant to the development of Portuguese economy, taking its seat on the European Economic and Social Committee and the Strategic Council for Open Economy.

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC) was founded on 1988. PUC 18 faculties are distributed through four campuses in Santiago and one regional campus. Engineering PUC has over 120 years educating the future leaders of Chile. Prepares the students to perform as applied scientists, innovators, entrepreneurs or as outstanding professionals in the broad field of engineering and thus become positive agents of change and social mobility for the country. With a bias on education, we want to prepare engineering design students for leadership in whatever professional environment they elect with a particular focus on emerging issues, multidisciplinary teamwork, visual thinking and cultural values.

DUOC is a private nonprofit educational institute founded in 1968. With legal personality, assets of its own, and administrative autonomy, DUOC is leader of professional technical educational in Chile. With a practical emphasis, its teaching model is based on the development of labor competences, which translates in the method of learning by doing. Hence the development of educational curricula is based on information provided by the industry. Each campus has its own technological centers, laboratories and specialized tools in order to recreate working environments. In addition, DUOC uses state of the art information technology in order to ease the learning process and especially the contact between students and teachers.

The University of the Republic is Uruguay’s public university. It is the most important, oldest, and largest university of the country, with a student body of more than 80,000 students. It was founded on July 18, 1849 in Montevideo, where most of its buildings and facilities are still located. Its current Rector is Dr. Roberto Markarián. The Universidad de la República (Udelar) is the main institution fo Education and Research in Uruguay. In collaboration with a wide set of institutional and social actor, it performs multiple activities oriented towards a more valuable use of knowledge and the diffusion of culture. It is a public and autonomous institution, co-governed by its scholars, students and graduates.

UTEC is the new Technological University of Uruguay, a proposed university public with tertiary education technological profile, focused on research and innovation. UTEC is an institution committed to the strategic guidelines of the country, open to the needs of the productive Uruguay, which has among its main objectives to increase equitable access to educational opportunities especially in the hinterland. One of its most innovative features is its focus on the collective construction of knowledge, with high standards of quality management and academic excellence.

The Instituto Federal do Amazonas began in 2008, originating from the union of CEFET-AM (1909), the schools Agrotécnica Federal de Manaus (1940) and São Gabriel da Cachoeira (1990), has provided relevant services to the society, acting in the state of Amazonas in its Manaus capital, with three campuses, two industrial and one in agrotechnical area, and other 12 campuses in the countryside of Amazonas, in small towns located more than 1000 Km away from Manaus. The IFAM already reached 16,643 students in 32 vocational training courses, 128 technical courses, 19 undergraduate courses, among these we have six in engineering area (Automation, Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, Telecommunications, Electronics and Civil), two Master’s programs and 13 technical courses in distance education. In addition, we have 1,712 workers throughout the state.

The Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão (IFMA) was established by the Law 11,892, of December 29, 2008, following the integration of CEFET-Maranhão with 3 Federal Agrotechnical Schools. The institutional mission is to promote professional, science and technology education through the integration of teaching, research and extension, focusing on the training of citizens and sustainable socioeconomic development. Currently, IFMA has 26 campuses, three advanced cores, three advanced campuses and a Technology Vocation Center. The institution offers entry-level courses, technical, undergraduate and graduate programs for youth and adults.

The Federal Institute of Goiás (Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Goiás – IFG) was created by Law n. 11.892, from 29th of December, 2008, from the transformation of the Technological Education Federal Centre of Goiás (CEFET). CEFET evolved since 1909, from a vocational oriented School to the current situation with BSc and MSc programmes. Nowadays IFG has 14 campi, in 13 different cities from Goiás state of Brazil, with vocational courses, BSc and MSc programmes, and Post-Graduations (lato sensu).

The Federal Institute of Triângulo Mineiro (IFTM) is a Higher Education Institution oriented to applied sciences, with a multicurricular and multicampi nature. The origin of IFTM is found in December of 2008, with the integration of the technological and Agrotechnic education units. IFTM has professional and technological education in technical programs, undergraduate, and post-graduation programs. IFTM involves the Rectory in Uberaba and nine campuses.

The Sul-rio-grandense Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology (IFSUL) is a public federal entity linked to the Ministry of Education in Brazil (MEC). Its fourteen schools/campuses are located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and the administration headquarters in the city of Pelotas. The Institute is characterized by a vertical educational structure, offering professional and technological education, integrating graduate, undergraduate, basic and technological levels. It serves 18.000 students with a staff of 1.600, among faculty and administration.

Created in 2009, the National Council for the Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education Institutions (CONIF) assembles the group of 41 federal institutions of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education of Brazil, present in all Brazilian states. It is a place for discussion, proposition and promotion of development policies. As a representative entity of the Federal Network institutions it acts with different society’s representations, Legislative Power and, frequently, assists the Ministry of Education in the planning of actions and projects targeted to the expansion of Brazilian vocational education, effectively participating of the articulations to the creation of the Federal Institutes.