BRIEF HISTORY

​

The Instituto Superior Politécnico TUNDAVALA is a product of the evolution of the Private University of Angola (UPRA) - Lubango Campus, which in turn began at the Instituto Superior Privado de Angola (ISPRA).

​

Lubango's ISPRA was inaugurated on May 3, 2005 with two Education Departments: one for Health and the other for Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The Department of Health began with the teaching of Psychology, Physiotherapy and Nursing courses. The Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences began with courses in Environmental Engineering and Agronomic Engineering.

 

Later, Management and Accounting, Social Communication and Civil Engineering courses began. In 2007, ISPRA became the Private University of Angola and, as a result, ISPRA Lubango became UPRA Lubango. In 2011, as a result of the division of Higher Education into Academic Regions, the UPRA Lubango separated from the UPRA in Luanda, creating the Instituto Superior Politécnico Tundavala – ISPTundavala (Decree 114/11).

​

With regard to physical conditions, ISPTundavala has a land of 64 hectares in the Tchitoco area (Humpata), approximately 5 km from Lubango, with 6 classrooms (28 classrooms),  4 laboratories and two preparation rooms, three computer rooms, two auditoriums, a museum, a reprography, a canteen, an area for health services, a sports area, an experimental farm and an area of native flora. The construction of academic services is planned, which currently operate in the city center and which should move to the campus as soon as possible.

​

In terms of protocols, o  ISPTundavala has collaborated with local, national and foreign entities. At a local level, it has agreements with the Instituto Médio Agrário do Tchivinguiro, with the Fábrica de Água Chela, with the Provincial Directorate of Health and with the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture. At national level, we have a protocol with the Institute of Veterinary Research of Angola.

At an international level, ISPTundavala has agreements with the Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra (ESAC), with the University of Coimbra, with Universidade Nova de Lisboa, with the University of Trás-os-Montes and Aldo Douro, with the Escola Superior de Nursing in Coimbra, with the Nursing School of Lisbon, with SOFTIMBRA (agro-informatics consultants), with Cultivar (Association of Tropical Agriculture Technicians), with the Museum of Lourinhã, among others.

The Development Plan of the Instituto Superior Politécnico Tundavala (ISPTundavala) is based on the experience of several years of Higher Education, with an intense insertion in the regional community, which is, from the outset, a guarantee of the solidity and sustainability of the project.

​

MISSION

​

The Instituto Superior Politécnico Tundavala (ISP Tundavala) is a private, non-profit higher education institution that builds knowledge in various areas of knowledge, with a strong emphasis on training specialized higher technicians.

ISP Tundavala, as a Higher Education Institution, consolidates itself as a reference in the southern region of the country in terms of training professionals committed to the life and progress of Angolan society.

​

ISP Tundavala's mission is to generate, disseminate and apply knowledge, based on freedom of thought and the plurality of critical exercises, promoting higher education and contributing to the construction of a model of society based on humanist principles, which has the knowledge, the creativity and innovation as growth factors, sustainable development, well-being and solidarity.

​

Through its 4 current Departments and the Tundavala Study and Research Centre, ISP Tundavala promotes and stimulates the exercise of the intellectual capacities of teachers, students and researchers, so that they are protagonists of positive actions and catalysts for the creation of conditions for a well-being. being of society. Thus, ISP Tundavala promotes quality and innovation in teaching methods, favoring the area of research that addresses the various problems of society, identifying their causes and proposing the most appropriate solutions.

The fulfillment of the aforementioned mission is carried out within a framework of international reference, namely the SADEC and CPLP spaces, based on the centrality of research and its close articulation with teaching, through the pursuit of human training at the highest level, in its ethical dimensions , cultural, scientific, artistic, technical and professional, through a diversified educational offer, the creation of an adequate educational environment, contributing to lifelong training and to the exercise of an active and responsible citizenship.

It is also part of the mission of ISP Tundavala to carry out research and participate in scientific institutions and events, promoting the permanent search for excellence, creativity as a source of proposals and innovative and differentiating solutions, as well as the search for answers to the great challenges of society, and also the transfer, exchange and enhancement of scientific and technological knowledge produced, provision of services to the community, carrying out continuous training actions and support for development, on a basis of reciprocal enhancement and promotion of entrepreneurship.

​

ISPTundavala also has an annual magazine (Tundavala – Angolan Science Magazine), where the academic population of the region can publish their articles, provided they are approved by the Scientific Committee of the same. This magazine started in 2013 and plans are being made to make it biannual in the future.

​

Finally, it is considered relevant for ISP Tundavala to interact with society, through contributions to the public understanding of culture, analysis and presentation of solutions to the main everyday problems, and partnerships for social and economic development, in regional, national or international contexts, as well as the contribution to the social and economic development of the region in which it operates and to the knowledge, defense and dissemination of its natural and cultural heritage.

​

CURRENT SITUATION

​

Training Offer

​

The demand for Higher Education students has been increasing year by year. In addition, the ISP Tundavala offer is complementary to the current public offer, presenting undergraduate courses in operation, which do not exist in the province, and others that are unique at the regional level.

​

All 11 (eleven) Degree courses currently being taught at ISPTundavala correspond to already established areas of training, with an obvious social need to train staff at a higher level.

 

Faculty and Students

​

ISPTundavala currently has 118 teachers.

​

As for academic degrees, 56 are graduates, 6 specialists, 49 masters and 7 doctors. It should be noted that some of the effective teachers (graduates and masters) were trained at the institution itself, and it is the policy of ISP Tundavala to recruit teachers from among its best graduates and give them access to postgraduate programmes, namely masters and doctorates.

As far as the student body is concerned, it has remained close to 2000 students per year.

                        

installations

 

The ISPT Campus comprises an area of 64 ha, about 5 km from Lubango, in an area of enormous natural beauty, which currently has the following features:

- 7 buildings for classes, a total of 34 rooms with capacity for 1500 students in each period (morning, afternoon and evening),

- Offices for teachers

- Library

- Laboratory building

- Canteen

- Amphitheater with 320 seats

- Building for providing services to the community in Psychology, Nursing and Physiotherapy

- Museum

- Parking lot

- multisport

- Riding School (Teaching, Tourism and Therapy)

- Administrative services (under construction)

 

ISP Tundavala also has a rented building for administrative services in the center of Lubango, where the academic secretariat, treasury, human resources and management are located, until the completion of the new building on the ISPTundavala Campus.

​

​

OBJECTIVES AND GOALS

         

1. In the medium term (2020/2025)

2. Stabilize the student body at 2500, with the number of entries being 30 students per course, with the exception of Nursing and Psychology courses which will be 90 per course (3 classes), given the great demand they have.

3. Consolidate ISPTundavala in the 4 Teaching Departments, namely:

Department of Health Sciences, Department of Engineering, Department of Social and Human Sciences and Department of Arts, with the following courses:

​

Department of Health Sciences:

- Psychology

- Physiotherapy

- Nursing

- Pharmaceutical Sciences

- Imaging (expected)

- Clinical analysis (expected)

Department of Social Sciences:

- Social Communication

- Management and Accounting

- International relations

- Ecotourism (planned)

- Social Worker (expected)

Engineering Department:

- Environmental engineering

- Agronomic Engineering

- Civil Engineering

- Geological Engineering (expected

- Food Engineering (planned)

- Forestry Engineering (expected)

🇧🇷Arts Department:

- Design (graphic and fashion)

- Art and Multimedia (expected)

- Performing Arts (expected)

- Fine Arts (expected)

 

In addition to the 11 courses running, ISP Tundavala intends to open new courses according to table 3.

 

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Consolidate the organizational structure of ISP Tundavala

​

The organizational structure of ISP Tundavala complies with the laws in force for Universities and Higher Polytechnic Institutes and is reflected in the following organizational charts:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

​

​

​

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Start academic postgraduate courses (masters)

​

One of the objectives of ISP Tundavala is to complement the graduate training of its students with postgraduate training in the respective training area. To this end, it already has protocols with the University of Coimbra, the University of Trás-os-Montes, the New University of Lisbon and the University of Aveiro, with a view to supporting both teaching and research   and future masters from ISPTundavala. The ISP Tundavala also intends to open in the long term, doctorates.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

ISP Tundavala Research Center

​

In 2017, ISP Tundavala created a “Tundavala Studies and Research Center” covering the various areas it teaches. This center has international support in the area of climatology, environment, psychology and agronomy, in which it has ongoing projects.

 

In the long term (2025/2030)

​

1 - Transform ISPTundavala into Tundavala University with the evolution of Departments to Faculties.

In the long term, 4 Faculties will be created within the University, a product of the Evolution of the existing Departments, namely Health Sciences, Engineering, Social and Human Sciences and Arts;

​

2 - Creation of Organic Units in the provinces of Namibe and Cunene.

When ISPTundavala is consolidated, it is intended to extend its training action to the other provinces of the academic region in which it operates, namely to the provinces of Namibe and Cunene.  The courses to be opened respect the needs and characteristics of the provinces where they are inserted and are degrees that already exist and are consolidated at ISP Tundavala.

​

3 - Start Doctoral Courses

When the degree and master courses open at ISP Tundavala are consolidated, and taking advantage of the existing collaboration protocols with foreign Universities and those that are yet to be established, one can think of implementing Doctoral courses in the main areas of interest taught at ISP Tundavala.

 

4 - Extend the institution's intervention to the surrounding community

The University must be open to the community. It is intended that ISPTundavala is not only a center for transmitting knowledge, but also a center for applied research, providing solutions to the needs of the region, with a perspective of international collaboration, namely with neighboring countries in the region (Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana).