Laura C. Ferreira Pereira holds a B.A. in International Relations and an M.A. in European Studies, both from the University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, and in 2003 received her Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Kent at Canterbury (UK). She is Assistant Professor of Political Science and International History at the Department of International Relations and Public Administration, University of Minho. She is the Head of the Research Unit in Political Science and International Relations of the University of Minho (NICPRI) and a Member of the Steering Committee of the ECPR's Standing Group on International Relations.