“We are certain that sustained, harmonious, and meaningful development relies clearly on education, knowledge, and research, but above all, on research and knowledge that are close to the ground and can have a positive ripple effect on communities, institutions, and individuals,” Nuno Vaz told the Lusa news agency.

Chaves, located in the Vila Real district, is home to the School of Hospitality and Well-being (EHB), one of the schools within the Bragança Polytechnic Institute (IPB), which is now set to become the University of Bragança and the Northern Interior.

This transformation marks the return of university education to the city, following the decision by the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), based in Vila Real, to shut down and progressively wind down operations at its Chaves campus throughout the 2010s.

Nuno Vaz described UTAD’s decision as a grave mistake for both the university itself and the region, arguing that the institution had “abandoned” Chaves and the Alto Tâmega area.

For the Mayor of Chaves, the creation of the University of Bragança and the Northern Interior, announced by the Prime Minister on Sunday, represents “recognition of the fruitful, consistent, and competent work” the IPB has been carrying out.

He added that for Chaves and the Alto Tâmega and Barroso region, where the municipality is located, this is a “very important” step, as it provides “an ally in the realms of higher education, research, and knowledge transfer.”

“A partner that can naturally play a role, and indeed already plays an important role, in establishing higher education and all that it entails, particularly regarding development and social cohesion within these territories,” he stated.

For all these reasons, this is “excellent news” that Nuno Vaz made a point of applauding, while also congratulating the entire IPB team, from the president (now rector), Orlando Rodrigues, to the faculty and researchers.

The mayor hopes that IPB’s connection to the local area, specifically Chaves and the Alto Tâmega region, will “strengthen further, yielding results in terms of new degree programs, the empowerment of young people, and the positive changes they can bring to their communities.”

In early August, the institution transitioned from the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança to the Polytechnic University.

However, it will soon cease to be a polytechnic and become the University of Bragança and the Northern Interior, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro announced on Sunday during his speech at the 22nd edition of the PSD Summer University in Castelo de Vide.

The Polytechnic University of Bragança comprises six schools: the School of Health, the School of Education, the School of Agriculture, and the School of Technology and Management (all in Bragança); the School of Communication (in Mirandela); and the School of Hospitality and Wellness (in Chaves). It hosts approximately 10,000 students, 30% of whom are international.

The Chaves campus currently operates in temporary facilities provided by the municipality, pending the construction of a dedicated building for the school. Additionally, a 120-bed student residence is under construction in the city; the project is more than 80% complete, funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), and is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

The School of Hospitality and Wellness (EHB) operates within the AquaValor Collaborative Laboratory, which conducts research in health sciences and social and business sciences, focusing part of its work on water resources.