CIPES - The Center for Research in Higher Education Policies - is a private association, founded by the Universities of Aveiro and Porto and open to other institutions of higher education. CIPES was established in 1998 and from the outset, its mission has been to engage in scholarly research in order to advance critical thought and promote informed understanding about the vital policy issues confronting higher education at both the national and international arenas. The breadth and depth of projects and publications encompasses the major higher education policy issues and reflects the wide diversity of academic backgrounds of the researchers at the Centre. 

CIPES is organized around three main research themes:

• System Level Policies (SLP)
• Institutional and Organizational Analysis (IOA)
• Resources, Performance and Human Capital (RPHC)