Inês Lourinho obtained her PhD in Medieval History from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon in 2018, with a dissertation entitled 'Gharb al-Andalus: A ground of Confrontation between Almoravids and Christians (1093–1147)'. This work was the result of over a decade of research on Christian–Muslim interactions, political contexts, and the dynamics of frontier warfare that enabled the foundation of the Kingdom of Portugal. She previously completed her MA in Medieval History at the same institution in 2010, defending the dissertation '1147: A Conjuncture Analysed from the Perspective of Muslim Sources'. Focusing on the three-year period preceding the Christian conquest of Lisbon – one of the most scrutinised events in Portuguese historiography – this study approached the event from a Muslim perspective and analysed it in relation to the processes that led to the fall of the Almoravid Empire in 1147. This research later became the core of her doctoral work. Throughout her scholarly career, Inês Lourinho has systematically compared Christian and Muslim written sources in order to achieve a balanced perspective between opposing sides. This methodological approach is strongly influenced by her initial academic background in Communication Theory. She holds a degree in Communication Sciences from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of NOVA University of Lisbon (1998) and has pursued a parallel career as a professional journalist. She is currently undertaking a postdoctoral research project entitled 'A Medieval Perspective on the Sahel: The Formation of Political Entities in the Sub-Saharan Territories of the Former Almoravid Empire'. This research draws on key concepts of Medieval History to analyse contemporary dynamics in the Western Sahel, including insurgency in the Sahara Desert, the political narratives employed by armed groups to legitimise themselves, and the trafficking routes linking Sub-Saharan Africa to the Mediterranean. Inês Lourinho is both a historian and a journalist.