Established in 2008, the Ethics Committee of the University of Porto is an independent collegiate body that meets in plenary every month. It is responsible for the promotion and observance of standards of ethics in all academic activities (lecturing, research and outreach activities, including service provision to the community and scientific dissemination). U.Porto’s units and the conduct of the members of its academic community fall under the Committee’s scope.
Divided into four multidisciplinary subcommittees (Life Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities, Technology and the Arts), CEUP assists the Ethics Committees of the University’s Organisational Units, when requested, and may take up general matters on its own initiative or as a result of requests made by U.Porto’s governing bodies.
The Ethics Committee is responsible for defining and implementing the U.Porto Code of Ethics in Academic Conduct, which is a key instrument in developing the best pedagogical, scientific and civic practices at the institution.
Locally, U.Porto's Organisational Units and Associated Research Institutes also have local ethics committees, which are responsible for deciding on specific ethical issues.