Paulo Afonso B. Duarte

Paulo Afonso B. Duarte is an Assistant Professor at Universidade Lusófona do Porto and an Invited Professor at the University of Minho. He holds a PhD and a Master’s in Political and Social Sciences from the Catholic University of Louvain, with research focusing on China's Belt and Road Initiative, World Politics, and Central Asia. His work has earned recognition, including a NAC-NU Central Asia Studies Program distinction and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation support for on-the-ground research in Central Asia.

His expertise spans geopolitical strategies, soft power dynamics, and multilateralism in China’s global engagements. Recent publications highlight his contributions to understanding China’s environmental diplomacy, health initiatives, and digital infrastructure expansion. He has edited major handbooks, including The Palgrave Handbook of Globalization with Chinese Characteristics and Portugal and the Lusophone World.

Key research trends include:

• Analysis of China’s Belt and Road Initiative across multiple domains
• Interdisciplinary studies of Arctic/Antarctic security
• Digital Silk Road implications in South Atlantic
• Ethical debates in global fashion industry
• Post-colonial relations in Lusophone nations
• Small state foreign policy in China-US-Russia triangle

Scientific awards include:

• Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation scholarship for Central Asia research
• NAC-NU Central Asia Studies Program distinction and funding

He serves as an invited speaker at global conferences and collaborates with foreign and Portuguese media, while coordinating special editions like the BRICS issue of IDN Brief.