Bárbara Matias is a Foreign Policy professional and researcher specializing in security and defense. With extensive experience in international organizations, she currently serves as Liaison Officer for the United States and Canada at the European External Action Service (EEAS), where she works on issues related to energy, climate and environment, development cooperation, and diplomacy with the Global South.

Previously, she was Programme Manager in the EU’s Global and Transregional Threats unit, focusing on the prevention of violent extremism, organized crime, and energy security.

She also worked at NATO, in the Operations Division and the Crisis Response Centre, leading coordination with the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her academic background includes a Master’s degree in Human Rights Studies from Columbia University, where she was a Fulbright scholar, and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Political Science from the Catholic University of Portugal. She further enriched her education with studies at the Institut Catholique de Paris.

Bárbara is multilingual, fluent in Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, and Dutch, with basic knowledge of Arabic. She has published several articles on foreign policy, security, and human rights in recognized platforms such as The Defence Horizon Journal, The European Network, and the Portuguese Government’s Migration Observatory.

In addition to her institutional experience, she is actively involved in volunteering and international conferences, having been a speaker at events organized by the United Nations, NATO, Columbia University, and several Latin American universities.

Bárbara Matias has been a Young Advisor at the Portuguese Diaspora Council since July 2025.