News

Catarina dos Santos Barreiras de Abreu, a second-year student in the Master’s Degree in Diplomacy and International Relations at Universidade Lusófona, has been selected as a delegate to participate in the Youth Democracy Summit 2026, which will take place in Rome, Italy, from 1 to 4 October 2026. She was awarded one of the fully funded places available for participation in the event.

Organised by the Center of International Policy and Sustainability (CIPS), the Youth Democracy Summit brings together young leaders and professionals from different countries to foster dialogue and exchange experiences on democracy, international cooperation, public policy and governance.

The programme includes policy dialogues, interactive workshops and activities designed to connect participants with institutions and professionals working on key challenges on the international agenda. A visit to the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome is also scheduled.

Participation in the Summit offers an opportunity to deepen knowledge across different areas of International Relations through direct engagement with institutional representatives and participation in an international environment of debate and learning. The event will also enable participants to build networks with young delegates from more than 100 countries.

Catarina’s selection as a fully funded participant in the Youth Democracy Summit 2026 recognises her academic trajectory and her interest in diplomacy, governance and international cooperation. It also reflects the international engagement of students within the academic and research environment of Universidade Lusófona.

LusoGlobe congratulates Catarina on this achievement and wishes her a productive participation in the Youth Democracy Summit 2026.

Source: Universidade Lusófona

Sabrina Medeiros participated in the 2026 European International Studies Association (EISA) Conference, held in Lisbon, contributing to paper presentations and panel discussions alongside researchers from universities and research centres across Europe and beyond. The conference provided an important setting for presenting ongoing research, discussing new findings and strengthening international academic cooperation. Medeiros presented research connected to current LusoGlobe agendas and participated in a panel bringing together perspectives closely related to her work in International Relations, security and global challenges.

This year’s EISA Conference was marked by a strong presence of specialised research sections and thematic communities, with highly attended sessions and sustained discussion across the programme. The diversity of topics and approaches offered an opportunity to identify emerging priorities in International Studies and to engage with researchers working on related theoretical, methodological and policy questions. The organisation of EISA 2026, hosted by ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon, was also particularly significant for LusoGlobe. Holding one of the major European conferences in International Studies in Lisbon reinforces the city’s position within international research networks and creates additional opportunities for interaction between Portuguese institutions and the wider European and international academic community.

Participation in the conference also contributed to strengthening LusoGlobe’s international networks. Exchanges during the event included researchers such as Andrew Neal, Samantha Ruppel, Bárbara Motta, Bruno Sowden-Carvalho, Érico Duarte, Carmen Jordá Sanz, Bruno Oliveira Martins, Ruy Garrido, Céline G. Rodrigues, Giuliano G. Braga, André Barrinha, Rafael Mesquita and Pedro Seabra, among other colleagues from different institutions and research communities. Beyond the formal panels and presentations, EISA 2026 provided an important space for discussing potential collaborations, reconnecting existing research networks and developing new academic exchanges. These interactions are particularly relevant to LusoGlobe’s commitment to internationally connected research and to building bridges between academic knowledge, policy debates and responses to contemporary global challenges.

The conference also demonstrated the vitality of the European International Studies community, with full rooms and engaged audiences throughout the event. LusoGlobe congratulates EISA, Joana Ricarte and the EISA and ISCTE teams for the organisation of the conference and for creating a productive environment for scientific exchange in Lisbon.

Sabrina Medeiros participated in the Forte de Copacabana International Security Conference, one of the leading forums for international security and defence dialogue between Europe and Latin America, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Medeiros moderated Panel V, “New Technologies and Contemporary Warfare: Drones, Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems, and Artificial Intelligence”, dedicated to the growing impact of emerging technologies on contemporary warfare, defence policy and international security.

The panel brought together Igor Marchesini, from the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI), Tomasz Smura, from the Casimir Pulaski Foundation, and Peter Neumann, from King’s College London. The discussion addressed the rapid transformation of the technological environment of warfare, including the expanding use of drones, the development and regulation of lethal autonomous weapons systems, and the implications of artificial intelligence for military operations and strategic decision-making.

These questions are closely connected to research developed within LusoGlobe on international security, emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, defence and global governance. They also raise broader challenges concerning regulation, accountability and the capacity of international institutions to respond to technological change in the security domain. The participation contributed to connecting perspectives from Brazil and Europe and to fostering dialogue between academic research, think tanks and the policy and defence communities. This engagement reflects LusoGlobe’s broader commitment to internationally connected research and to strengthening exchanges between European and Global South perspectives on contemporary security challenges.

The Forte de Copacabana International Security Conference is promoted by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and brings together experts, policymakers, academics and representatives of strategic institutions to discuss major transformations in the international security environment. The full conference, including Panel V, is available online on the event’s YouTube channel.

Photo: KAS

The 5th International Congress on Angolan Studies took place on 26 May 2026 at the National Library of Portugal. Over the years, this congress has become an important reference point for scholars dedicated to the academic study of Angola.

LusoGlobe – Global Challenges Seminar 2025-2026

Fartima Gameiro and Paula Ferreira, together with Miguel Faria, have recently published the scientific article Quality of Life and Socioemotional Development: A Lifespan Analysis in the international journal Applied Developmental Science.