A WORLD IN UNCERTAINTY

President of the Portuguese Republic. He was a professor in the fields of Political Science and International Relations at the Autonomous Lisbon University and the Institute of Social and Political Sciences. He held several positions within the Socialist Party, of which he was Secretary-General. He served as a Member of Parliament for several terms and played a leading role in its reform in 2007. He served as a Member of the European Parliament and was co-rapporteur of the Treaty of Nice. He served in several Constitutional Governments and in the Council of State.

Retired diplomat, co‑founder and current president of the Club of Lisbon. Over four decades in the Portuguese diplomatic service, he served as ambassador to the United Nations, the OSCE, UNESCO, Brazil and France. He was Secretary of State for European Affairs and executive director of the North‑South Centre of the Council of Europe. He currently provides strategic consulting in the private sector.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNOPS, positions he has held since 2023. Previously, he directed the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate and led the Secretariat of the Development Assistance Committee from 2016 to 2022. He also served as Portugal’s Minister for Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy, Secretary of State for Science and Higher Education, Secretary of State for Environment and Spatial Planning , and as a Member of the Portuguese and European Parliaments (where, as standing rapporteur on climate change, he authored the legislation that created the EU CO2 Emissions Trading Scheme). He held climate finance roles at UNDP and has taught at Portuguese universities and Sciences Po. In 2011, he founded and led the think-tank Platform for Sustainable Growth.

Distinguished Fellow and Adviser to the President at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). His expertise covers US foreign and security policy, transatlantic relations, and Mediterranean and Middle Eastern affairs. He holds the Chair in Transatlantic Trade and Economy at the College of Europe in Bruges and is a Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South in Rabat. Previously, he was a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center and a senior analyst at the RAND Corporation.

Leading scholar and Director of the European Research Center at the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, where he is a Full Professor. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Aalborg University, Denmark. His research and teaching focus on international political economy, international relations, and world order. His extensive academic career includes publishing numerous journal articles and book series centered on the geopolitical and economic implications of China’s rise and its impact on the global architecture.

James Anderson Professor of the Practice at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Europe and Senior Fellow at Bocconi’s Institute for European Policy-Making. She chairs the Board of ODI Europe, and the Advisory Boards of Istituto Affari Internazionali, being its former director, and the Helmut Schmidt Foundation, and is an independent non-executive director of Acea. As a Special Advisor to EU High Representatives Federica Mogherini and Josep Borrell, she drafted the European Global Strategy, leading its implementation. She writes regularly for The Guardian and La Stampa.

London-based Editor-at-Large for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Nikkei, Japan’s leading business newspaper. For more than three decades, he has reported on major geopolitical and geoeconomic developments across Europe and Asia, helping connect debates on democracy, economic security and international cooperation across both regions. He has interviewed numerous heads of state, government leaders and central bank governors, earning the prestigious Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association Prize for Journalism. He holds a PhD in Political Science from Freie Universität Berlin, where he also lectures.

Assistant Professor at the Autonomous University of Lisbon, an Invited Assistant Professor at NOVA FCSH, and an Integrated Researcher at IPRI-NOVA. An expert on Russia and Central Asia, she is a prominent International Affairs Commentator for CNN Portugal. She completed specialised training in Russian Foreign Policy at the Russian Diplomatic Academy and in diplomatic protocol at L’École Nationale D’Administration (ENA) in Paris. Previously, she was International Manager at the Portuguese Chamber of Solicitors and Enforcement Agents.

Founder and CEO of Arcipel, a London-based strategic advisory firm operating across finance, technology, energy, aerospace, and defence. An experienced adviser to senior leadership in government and business on corporate policy and geopolitical risk, he has worked for the Abu Dhabi government, Jane’s, and the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). He possesses deep expertise in China and East Asian geopolitics, and has published widely on international relations, global maritime security, and contemporary strategic affairs.

Full Professor of Biodiversity and Ecology at the University of Coimbra. She serves as Portugal’s representative to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). She founded and coordinates the Centre for Functional Ecology and holds the UNESCO Chair in Biodiversity Conservation for Sustainable Development. A highly decorated scientist, she was awarded the Ernst Haeckel Prize in 2024 for her outstanding contribution to European ecological science, and received the major national science prize Ciência Viva in 2025.

Founder and CEO of GIST Impact, a global leader in environmental impact data and analytics. A scientist by education and environmental economist by passion, he led the UN’s Green Economy Initiative and the groundbreaking TEEB study. He formerly chaired WWF International and sat on the boards of Conservation International and the Stockholm Resilience Centre. His contributions have been recognized with the Blue Planet Prize (2016), the Tyler Prize (2020), and the EAERE European Practitioner Achievement Award in Applying Environmental Economics (2024).

Invited Professor at the Catholic Portuguese University, NOVA Lisbon University, and the University of Évora, where he heads the College for Transformation and Leadership. His work sits at the intersection of public policy, sustainability, and strategic foresight, specialising in designing governance strategies that respond to complex global challenges. He previously served as the Secretary of State for International Trade and Foreign Investment and as Under-Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Bernardo is a member of the Board of the Clube de Lisboa.

Renowned expert in regulatory compliance, ethics, and artificial intelligence public policy. A partner at the law firm Pérez-Llorca, his work focuses on analysing the sociopolitical impacts of AI and securing safe corporate technological practices. He regularly advises major organisations on the implementation of AI adoption strategies, regulatory navigation, and legal risk mitigation. He has a distinguished career in public service, having previously served as a Portuguese Member of Parliament and as Secretary of State for Tourism.

Postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for War Studies, University of Southern Denmark. Her current research investigates global governance and military applications of AI, focusing specifically on lethal autonomous weapon systems, AI decision-support tools, and the influence of tech corporations on security narratives. Her broader research portfolio highlights expertise in international politics, responsible AI deployment, human-machine interaction in warfare, and the shifting relationship between emerging military technologies and state identity.

Full Professor at Umeå University, where she leads the AI Policy Lab. She is a senior advisor on AI policy to the Wallenberg Foundations and chairs the Technology Policy Council of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). A Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, she is a Fellow of the European AI Association and ELLIS. She serves on the UN Advisory Body on AI and the OECD’s Expert Group on AI. She founded ALLAI, and co-chairs the WEF’s Global Future Council on AI.

Editor-in-Chief and Information Director of Lusa, the news agency of Portugal. Before leading Lusa’s newsroom in 2018, she spent nearly two decades at the prominent Portuguese weekly newspaper Expresso, steering coverage as International Editor and later as Chief Political Editor. A leading authority on international security, foreign policy, and combating digital disinformation. She holds a degree in law and frequently represents Portuguese media at international strategic and journalistic forums. She is Vice-President of the Board of Clube de Lisboa.

Senior Geopolitical Analyst and COO at Geopolitical Futures, and an associate professor of geopolitics and International Relations at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA) in Bucharest. She is a Senior Fellow in the Eurasia Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, a Senior Expert Associate at the New Strategy Center, Romania, and a member of the Scientific Council of the Elcano Royal Institute. Previously, she spent over a decade with Stratfor, including as partner for Europe.

Guest lecturer at the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences and Associate Researcher at the Portuguese Institute of International Relations and the National Defence Institute, where he lectures to the European Security and Defence College. Chairs the Portuguese Council of the European Movement. Combining private and public experience, he consults on site selection, M&A and biz dev. He was CEO of the Portuguese Trade & Investment Agency and the Sines Industrial and Logistics Zone. Served at the Portuguese Consulate in San Francisco and Shanghai.

Senior Fellow at the Elcano Royal Institute in Madrid and Director of the European Think Tanks Group (ETTG). She is also an Associate Professor of Applied and Structural Economics at the Complutense University of Madrid, where she teaches postgraduate courses in economic analysis and development. An expert on international development, her research focuses on international cooperation, foreign aid, and global power dynamics. She frequently collaborates with multilateral bodies and international development and international relations institutions as well.

Special Advisor at the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate. She previously served as President of Camões, I.P. (the Portuguese Institute for Cooperation and Language), Head of the OECD Foresight, Outreach and Policy Reform Unit, Vice-Chair of the Development Assistance Committee, and Co-Chair of the OECD Advisory Group on Investment and Development. With more than 25 years of experience she worked in civil society organisations, with government, public institutions and multilateral organisations. She lectures in several universities on topics related with international relations, foresight and development studies.

Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and an Honorary Fellow of Darwin College, University of Cambridge. As a prominent international relations scholar, her research focuses on multilateralism, international negotiations, the World Trade Organization, and India’s foreign policy. She is also a non-resident Distinguished Fellow at the Australia India Institute, University of Melbourne. From 2014 to 2024, she served as President of the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) and was a Professor at Hamburg Universität.

Distinguished scholar-practitioner and British Academy Global Professor at SOAS University of London, specialising in structural economic transformation, industrial policy, and African economic development. He combines academic research with decades of high-level policymaking, having pioneered Ethiopia’s modern industrial development model as Senior Minister and Special Adviser to successive Prime Ministers. Previously, as Mayor of Addis Ababa from 2003 to 2006, his work in urban transformation and poverty reduction earned him the distinction of African Best Mayor in 2005.

Director of the International Intelligence Unit and a Professor at the Brazilian School of Economics and Finance, Getulio Vargas Foundation, Rio de Janeiro. He has held senior roles across academic, research, and development institutions in Brazil and abroad. He served in prominent government capacities at both federal and statelevels, including the Ministry of Planning. He has been involved, in the past decades, in geopolitics. He is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Robert Triffin International Foundation, and the Lisbon Academy of Sciences.

Senior Research Fellow for China in the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House and an Associate Fellow of the foreign policy think tank LSE IDEAS, where she previously led China Foresight. She advises FTSE 100 companies and major financial institutions on China’s macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape. In July 2025, Project Syndicate recognised her as one of the most notable female voices in global affairs. She is also a Young Leader at the Shangri-La Dialogue and previously specialised in Chinese investment strategies at Roland Berger.

Professor at the NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities and an Integrated Researcher at IPRI-NOVA. She is an expert on European Studies, EU Foreign, Security and Defence Policy, Middle East geopolitics, and international security. She serves as an Adviser to the Civil Office of the President of the Republic. Previously she was Deputy Vice-Dean of NOVA FCSH and Chair of NATO’s Independent Expert Group. She has also worked with the UN Alliance of Civilizations and served as Portuguese Secretary of State for National Defence.

Professor of European Union Law at the Autonomous University of Lisbon, specialising in asylum, security, and migration policy. She has an extensive career in public service, notably serving as the Portuguese Minister for Home Affairs from 2015 to 2017. She has also served multiple terms as a Member of Parliament and currently presides over the Oversight Council for the Portuguese Intelligence System (SIRP). She holds a law degree from the University of Coimbra and a PhD from Saarland University, Germany.

Professor of Sociology at the University of Amsterdam and Professor of Migration and Development at Maastricht University. A leading Dutch sociologist and geographer, he is globally renowned for three decades of pioneering research on the drivers and impacts of human mobility, challenging conventional assumptions regarding push-and-pull factors, climate migration, and border restrictions. As one of the founding members of the International Migration Institute (IMI) at the University of Oxford, he currently leads the Institute at its new seat at the University of Amsterdam.

Programme Director of the Widening Europe Programme and CIVICA at the European University Institute. She possesses extensive international experience in public policy analysis, specialising in state-building, foreign policy, and European Union politics. At the Institute, she heads the research division on Southeastern Europe, exploring EU integration and the geopolitics of the Western Balkans. Jelena Dzankic is also the Co-Director of the Global Citizenship Observatory, a premier international research platform that comprehensively maps citizenship legislation and electoral rights worldwide.

Expert in EU affairs, migration, and defence. She provides strategic counsel to the Rector of Iscte-IUL on institutional affairs, policy development, and external relations. She served in high-level public administration roles, including Chief of Staff to the Minister of National Defence, Coordinator of the CDSP area within the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU, and Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the Portuguese Parliament. She was political adviser to a member of the European Parliament and to a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Afonso holds a BA in Political Science and International Relations from NOVA Lisbon University and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in International Governance and Diplomacy at Sciences Po Paris. Boasting an academic and civic background spanning Portugal, France, and Brazil, he is a co-founder of SDSN Youth Portugal and a WEF Global Shaper. His professional work focuses on climate governance, striving to build multi-level public-private partnerships across sectors to accelerate the green transition through collaborative structural solutions.

Defence and security affairs analyst and PhD candidate at Sciences Po Paris. Previously, she worked at NATO Headquarters in Brussels and is currently a Junior Associate Fellow at the NATO Defence College. She was a selected member of the Reflection Group established by the President of Portugal, entitled The Future Has Already Begun (O Futuro Já Começou). Her core academic expertise and research portfolio lie at the intersection of political science and contemporary international relations.

Human Rights professional with over six years of experience working in decision-making environments and emergency contexts. She is currently based in Brussels, where she works on human rights and EU advocacy. Her experience includes supporting human rights defenders at risk at the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), serving as a parliamentary assistant at the European Parliament, and supporting migrants and refugees in Peru, among other roles. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and an Erasmus Mundus Master’s degree in Security and Conflict Studies.

Vice President of the African Students’ Association at the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences (ISCSP). She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and is a social activist dedicated to promoting civic engagement, social inclusion, and intercultural dialogue. Her main areas of interest include African politics, diplomacy, gender equality, and sustainable development. Through active civic engagement, she is committed to empowering youth networks and contributing to more inclusive, equitable, and globally connected societies.

Rodrigo holds a degree in International Relations from the Autonomous University of Lisbon and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Political Science at the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences (ISCSP). His academic track focuses on European integration, foreign policy, and the strategic positioning of smaller states within the shifting multilateral order. Reflecting his commitment to generational dialogue, he actively participates in youth civic associations and academic forums centered on global governance.

Secretary-General of the Platform for Sustainable Growth, an independent non-profit organisation based in Portugal, dedicated to the research, formulation, and debate of public policies focused on sustainable development and the country’s modernisation. He is a Cascais City Councillor, elected as an independent. He is also a political commentator for SIC Notícias (TV) and TSF (Radio). He is the founder of the Instagram platform O Parágrafo. His academic background is in Political Science and International Relations.

An internationally renowned first tenor who has performed on some of the world’s leading opera stages. His repertoire includes works by Verdi, Rossini, Massenet, Bizet, Bellini, Donizetti, Strauss, Montemezzi, Wagner, and Cilea, performed at major opera houses and concert halls in Barcelona, Bilbao, Dallas, Dublin, Florence, Hong Kong, Klosterneuburg, Leipzig, Lisbon, Miami, Minnesota, Monte Carlo, Montreal, Palma de Mallorca, Parma, St. Gallen, Turin, Vienna, Wexford, and Wiesbaden. He is the co-founder and artistic director of the AGLAIA Association, which promotes young Portuguese opera singers.

Renowned pianist and composer who began his career in 1998 at the São Luiz Theatre. He has performed in Portugal and abroad, accompanying leading Portuguese vocalists. His collaborations include the Sinfonietta, the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra and the Beiras Philharmonic, as well as the Regina Coeli, São Carlos, Luísa Todi, Lisboa Cantat, Ricercare, Públia Hortênsia and University of Lisbon choirs. He has also collaborated with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in a number of recitals for children. He teaches at the Lisbon School of Music.

A classical music connoisseur, having studied music since his young age and later chaired the Board of Directors of OPART (Teatro Nacional de São Carlos and Companhia Nacional de Bailado). Currently he is the Chair of the Lisbon Municipal Assembly and a Professor at the Lisbon Law School. Holding a PhD in Public Law and Legal Theory, his research focuses on legislative and institutional change. He previously served as State Secretary for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.