Luis Fernandes is a professor at the International Relations Institute (IRI) and the Brics Policy Center (BPC) of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), as well as adjunct professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). He has PhD and Master’s degrees in Political Science from the Instituto Universitário de Pesquisas do Rio de Janeiro (IUPERJ) and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) degree from Georgetown University (USA). His research areas cover topics related to the Political Economy of International Relations (with special emphasis on development and innovation issues), and to power shifts in the international order. He has been designated to different government positions in Brazil over the past two decades, including those of Deputy Minister for Science and Technology, President of the Brazilian Innovation Agency (FINEP), Scientific Director of the Rio de Janeiro State Foundation for the Endowment of Research (FAPERJ), Special Advisor to the Minister of Defense and Deputy Minister for Sports (where he served as the government’s executive coordinator for the preparation and organization of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games).