Maria Inês Rodrigues and Jorge Ponte are the winners of the FLAD Political Science Award 2026 and will participate in the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association (APSA), in Boston, in the United States.
Created by the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD), the FLAD Political Science Award aims to recognize the merit of young Portuguese researchers and provide them with contact with the international academic community, through participation in one of the most important world meetings in the area of Political Science.
Maria Inês Rodrigues holds a master’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from the Institute of Political Studies of the Catholic University of Portugal. The distinguished dissertation, “Assessing Russia’s Information Warfare in Ukraine (2013-2015): The role of RT/Russia Today and Sputnik in Disinformation campaigns targeting international audiences”, analyzes the role of Russian disinformation during the conflict in Ukraine between 2013 and 2015, in particular the performance of RT and Sputnik and the dissemination of narratives aimed at international audiences. Currently, Maria Inês Rodrigues develops her career in the field of communication in international organizations, with professional experience at NATO and the European Union Agency on Drugs.
Jorge Ponte holds a master’s degree in Political Science and International Relations, with a specialization in International Relations, from NOVA FCSH, and a degree in Asian Studies from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon.
In the dissertation “China’s reemergence in Central Asia”, Jorge Ponte analysed China’s growing influence in Central Asia between 1991 and 2023 and how Beijing has consolidated its presence in a region traditionally marked by Russian influence.
With the FLAD Political Science Award 2026, Maria Inês Rodrigues and Jorge Ponte will participate in the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, in Boston. FLAD ensures travel and accommodation in the United States, registration for the conference and APSA membership fees for three years, promoting internationalization and the contact of young Portuguese researchers with the North American academic community.
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