Biography

Lorenzo is a PhD candidate in the Human Rights in Contemporary Societies programme at the Centre for Social Studies (CES) of the University of Coimbra. His research explores how conflict sensitivity-when reframed through critical race theory, postcolonial studies, and intersectionality-can challenge the colonial and racialised power dynamics embedded in the international aid system. With a background in international relations and peace and conflict studies, Lorenzo holds a Master's degree in International Studies from the University of Turin (2021) and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Cagliari. Parallel to his academic path, Lorenzo has worked since 2021 with the British peacebuilding NGO Peaceful Change initiative (PCi), supporting conflict-affected societies in Libya, Mozambique, Ukraine, and the Western Balkans. His roles have included conflict analyst, trainer, consultant, and project development officer. He has conducted conflict sensitivity assessments, facilitated trainings and workshops, supported local peacebuilding networks, and advised international actors on how to navigate complex contexts in more ethical and context-aware ways. His research and professional interests lie at the intersection of conflict transformation, aid decolonisation, critical peacebuilding, and knowledge co-production. He is particularly interested in building equitable partnerships between Global North and Global South actors, and in using research to inform practice-and vice versa.