The institute’s history is closely linked to the work and career of Jean Piaget, the man who gave it his name. Its life has been marked by the ability to adapt and a natural interest in dynamics and change. It is a history that can be defined as gradual transformation with a view to constant improvement.

It was set up in 1979 as a non-profit-making cooperative called Cooperativa para o Desenvolvimento da Criança, SCRL (Cooperative for Children’s Development). It took its current name, Instituto Piaget - Cooperativa para o Desenvolvimento Humano, Integral e Ecológico, CRL (Cooperative for Full Human and Ecological Development) some time later, after many years of preparing and implementing social and pedagogical projects.

The Instituto Piaget provides high-quality teaching, creates knowledge and spreads fundamental human values for the essential personal and intellectual education of all its players – teachers, students, non-teaching staff, employees and members.

In pursuit of this goal, the Instituto Piaget seeks out creativity and innovation and has reinvested all its surplus funds in constantly improving the education it provides while always respecting the Private and Cooperative Higher Education Statute.

With these principles in mind, the Instituto Piaget has been diversifying to many areas ranging from education and the publication of books to research, social work and development projects in Portugal and Portuguese-speaking African countries.