Catherine Maia holds a PhD in International Law and is an Associate Professor at the University of Maia (UMaia). She also teaches at Universidade Lusófona and serves as Visiting Professor at several European institutions, including Sciences Po Paris and the Catholic University of Lyon. Her research and academic engagement focus on the evolving role of international law in addressing contemporary global challenges, particularly in the fields of human rights protection, international criminal justice, international humanitarian law and peace and security. Combining academic scholarship with institutional practice, she serves as a judge at the French National Court of Asylum (CNDA), appointed by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and regularly contributes as an expert to international organisations, States and diplomatic institutions. Her work has a strong international outreach, with sustained involvement in research networks, capacity-building initiatives and academic cooperation, particularly across Europe and Africa, while engaging with broader global debates on justice, governance and security. She has authored and edited numerous scholarly publications and is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences. Her recent books explore themes such as nuclear weapons and international law, the protection of vulnerable groups in international human rights law, the legitimacy of international criminal justice, African women’s rights, and human rights protection in Africa. She actively supervises doctoral research and contributes to transnational academic dialogue aimed at strengthening the impact of international law in diverse regional contexts.