Mafalda Damaso

Mafalda Damaso is a Researcher at the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication, Department of Arts and Culture Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), where she serves as Principal Investigator for the Horizon project REBOOT. She also holds a part-time professorship at the European University Institute in Florence, leading work packages in Horizon projects, and maintains a Visiting Research Fellow status at King's College London.

• PhD, Goldsmiths, University of London
• Postgraduate Certificate in the Management of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Goldsmiths, University of London
• Master, Université catholique de Louvain
• Bachelor, ISCTE - University Institute of Lisbon

Her research focuses on the intersections of cultural and media policy, international relations, and sustainable development, with a strong emphasis on the European Union’s role as a global cultural actor. She explores EU cultural diplomacy, public diplomacy, the geopolitics of culture, and the competitiveness of the European film industry. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in education, sustainable societies, and well-being.

Her recent publications and projects reveal a strong trend toward policy-oriented research, especially in cultural diplomacy, regenerative cultural policy, and the integration of culture into foreign affairs and health. She combines theoretical depth with empirical analysis, often contributing to high-impact policy reports and academic volumes that shape EU-level discourse.

• Research Fellowship, Department of Culture, Media and Creative Industries, King's College London (2021)
• 2019–2021 Research Fellowship, Centre on Public Diplomacy, University of Southern California

Mafalda has advised on major policy initiatives, including a project for the European Parliament on artists’ status and serving as a policy expert for CultureForHealth. She has led research grants such as the REBOOT Horizon project and has been actively involved in grant-funded research at USC and King’s College London. She mentors emerging scholars and contributes to academic governance through committee memberships. She is also a Subject Matter Expert for the Canada Council for the Arts and the Latvian Council of Science.

She is actively involved in research networks and teams, including the International Cultural Relations Research Alliance (British Council and German Institute of Foreign Cultural Relations), and leads collaborative teams in Horizon Europe projects. Her work is embedded in transnational academic and policy networks focused on cultural sustainability, diplomacy, and innovation.