Valentina Ruas

Graduate at University of Minho, Portugal, with a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations. Currently enrolled in the Political Science and International Relations' Master's programme at Nova University, specialising in Globalisation and Regional Dynamics. 

At University of Minho, I took up the position of President at the International Relations Study Centre, after working in its Model UN's department. Additionally, I also worked as the Volunteering Director at the University's Academic Association. For my final project before graduating, I co-developed an international security strategy for the State of Georgia, in partnership with the Georgian Center for Strategy and Development. 

I am also a co-founder of SOS Amazonia Fund, an organisation that has raised more than 200K USD to assist indigenous communities in the Amazon during the pandemic, and further with entrepeneurship and capacity building projects. 

I am an active advocate for climate justice in multiple spheres of civil society, acting on different campaigns and projects to push for better and just climate policies, always with intersectional lenses. I was a delegate at COP26 and COP28 and have been increasingly researching and specialising on the climate and conflict nexus.

Internship at the Portuguese Embassy in Morocco (2024);

Director of NGO SOS Amazonia Fund (2020-2023); 

President at the University of Minho's International Relations Study Centre (2022-2024);

Volunteering Director at the University of Minho's Academic Association (2023-2024).

Bachelor's Degree in International Relations at the University of Minho, Portugal (2021-2024)

Master's Degree in International Relations and Political Science, with a specialisation in Globalization and Regional Dynamics, at Nova Univeristy of Lisbon (2024-currently).