Seniors on the Move – U3A in Porto
29. January 2025In October this year, our university successfully organised an educational stay for 20 students at the University of the Third Age (U3A) in Porto, Portugal.
Thanks to connections established in 2019, when a highly successful week-long English language course for U3A seniors from Porto was held at TBU in Zlín, we were able to reciprocate with an international trip of our own.
Our hosts from the University of Porto rose to the occasion, preparing a programme that everyone will remember for a long time. This was not a sightseeing tourist trip but genuine learning.
Morning sessions focused on the geography and history of Porto. Afternoons featured practical demonstrations across various city locations, reflecting the topics covered during the morning lessons.
Portuguese seniors also participated in all activities, making the subsequent interactive English lessons full of international discussions and fascinating insights. Any initial stress and fear of not understanding quickly faded, thanks to the absolutely professional lecturers.
All communication – with teachers and new Portuguese friends – was conducted exclusively in English, which proved invaluable. Everyone realised that they could communicate, that learning English is not only trendy but also practically beneficial, boosting confidence in their communication skills.
The fact that we were esteemed guests was evidenced by a warm welcome from the Dean of their Faculty of Humanities and even a meeting with the Vice-Rector for External Relations. This special treatment granted us access to areas usually off-limits to tourists, including a tour of the magnificent historic rectorate building and university museums with rare exhibits, all accompanied by a professional guide.
Our Portuguese colleagues also had a fantastic surprise in store – a visit to the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), complete with expert commentary. We were amazed by the incredible snail-shell-shaped building, with a façade of hexagonal tiles resembling fish scales.
Porto was voted the best European destination in 2017. It is a stunning, picturesque city, part of which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, and the birthplace of port wine. Naturally, we could not leave without visiting a port winery, sampling the wines, and listening to the melancholic melodies of fado.
Cultural experiences were further enriched by indulging in Portuguese cuisine, tasting ocean offerings – from sardines to octopus – all accompanied by a necessary glass of port, and concluding with pastel de nata, the famous custard tart. A true delight!
The final day was “free,” with some choosing to visit Braga, Aveiro, or one of Europe’s longest suspension bridges in the geopark. Others took the opportunity to shop for souvenirs and bid farewell to the city that captured our hearts and will be dearly missed.
“Profound experiences, new friendships, and motivation for even more intensive English studies. The dream we envisioned – to provide even senior students at TBU’s University of the Third Age with the opportunity to experience studying abroad, even if only for a week – became reality,” concluded Eva