Carla Isabel Fernandes holds a PhD in International Relations from FCSH and a Master’s in Chinese Studies from the University of Aveiro. She has also studied Chinese language, culture, history, and economy at the University of Macau and other institutions in China. She is an auditor of the National Defense courses at the National Defense Institute. Since 2005, she has been an Assistant Professor at FCSH, teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses. She is also a guest lecturer at the Military University Institute, the National Defense Institute, and other Portuguese universities. As a researcher at the Portuguese Institute of International Relations (IPRI-NOVA), she has led and contributed to national and international research projects, focusing on strategic foresight in security and geopolitics. Her work explores topics such as China, energy security, energy geopolitics, and Europe-Russia energy relations. She has organized and spoken at conferences on these subjects. She is a regular media commentator and has published extensively. Recent works include "Chinese Energy Cooperation in Africa: From 'Gray' to 'Green Energy'" in the Handbook on China-Europe-Africa Relations (2025), "Transition to a New Geopolitics of Energy: The Lusophone World" in Portugal and the Lusophone World: Law, Geopolitics and Institutional Cooperation (Palgrave, 2023), and "Conflicts Over Resources vs. Resources in Conflict" in Ameaças e Riscos Transnacionais na Nova Era (2022).