The University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro is a public university located in the north-eastern city of Vila Real, Portugal. It became a public university in 1986, although its history also includes a heritage received from its predecessor, the Polytechnic Institute of Vila Real, created in 1973. This Institute took on a relevant role in the development of the …The University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro is a public university located in the north-eastern city of Vila Real, Portugal. It became a public university in 1986, although its history also includes a heritage received from its predecessor, the Polytechnic Institute of Vila Real, created in 1973. This Institute took on a relevant role in the development of the region, and in September 1979, it was converted into the University Institute of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro. It was due to the intense activity in the fields of teaching and scientific and technological research that, less than ten years later, the government granted its status as a qualified University.