Amongst the institutions of Higher Education in Portugal, the School of Letters, Arts and Human Sciences (ELACH) of the University of Minho (UMinho) is a pioneer in the introduction of courses of foreign languages and cultures for the academic community and the public in general (over 16 years of age).

Since 1987, ELACH has developed increasingly diverse programmes covering several languages and offering apprenticeships in various formats.  In 1990 the Summer Course of Portuguese – Foreign Language took place, followed by the Annual Course Portuguese as Foreign Language in 1992, which has been establishing itself as an international reference over the years.

The strong and diverse educational offer of foreign languages – an important complement to any university degree – has strategic importance in the internationalisation policy of UMinho, particularly in the current context of the European Higher Education System (Bologna System). Faced with this challenge, the revised Statutes of ELACH, approved on 23 September 2021, define in Articles 38 and 40 a Language Centre, designated as BabeliUM, as an interaction with society project, aimed at developing training activities and promoting languages and cultures, as well as providing services in the field of languages (translation, interpretation, etc.). On 10 October 2021, the Management Council of University of Minho approved the revised Regulation of BabeliUM.

BabeliUM was founded on 26 September 2009, on the European Day of Languages, which is annually celebrated with promotional activities for multilingualism, with a view to fostering language learning.

In 2011, following a proposal by the Rector, the General Council requested the transformation of the University of Minho into a public foundation under a private law regime. This option was established in Decree-Law No. 4/2016, of January 13, which incorporates the Statutes of the Foundation.

Later, in 2019, the Institute of Letters and Human Sciences requested the Rector of the University of Minho to change its designation to the School of Letters, Arts and Human Sciences, in order to reflect its new artistic fields—Music and Theater—which were recently integrated into its educational offerings. This objective was approved at the General Council meeting on January 27, 2020. In March 2021, following the publication in the Diário da República (Official Gazette), 2nd Series, No. 115, of June 16, 2021, the name “School of Letters, Arts and Human Sciences” was officially established, and the present Statutes were subsequently amended to integrate the new name throughout the text.

The School of Letters, Arts and Human Sciences develops teaching and research projects in the fields of Letters, Arts, and Humanities, grounded in freedom of thought and a consistent education—across ethical, cultural, scientific, artistic, and professional dimensions—capable of promoting well-being and solidarity. The School works in cooperation with the University’s other Institutes and Schools to complement knowledge, embrace an interdisciplinary vision, engage in community service projects, and defend an environment that promotes the full development of the human person and a culture based on responsibility and the permanent pursuit of excellence. By pursuing programs and actions that develop Letters, Arts, and Humanities, the School aims to strengthen humanistic culture, critical thinking, and the arts in an increasingly intense, inclusive, and consolidated manner, while also valuing the Portuguese language and multilingualism as fundamental conditions for deepening mutual understanding in an increasingly globalized world.