Studied Government at the Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas (ISCSP), Social Anthropology at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), in Paris. He was awarded a summa cum laude Doctorate in Social and Cultural Anthropology by the Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas (FCSH), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, and his Agrégation in Law at the NOVA School of Law (NSL, UNL). Received a Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation longterm scholarship, a University College, London (UCL) Mary Scharlieb Scholarship, another from The British Museum (Museum of Mankind), and more than half a dozen others throughout the years. Was elected Ivor Evans Fellow, University of Cambridge, and also Tweedie Fellow, University of Edinburgh. He was made a Professor honoris causa in History, by and at the University of Bucharest, Romania. He is a Tenured Full Professor (now retired, since late 2022) of the NOVA School of Law, UNL of the Instituto Universitário Militar (IUM), Ministério da Defesa, where he for 22 years was the professor responsible for Geopolitics, and at the Instituto Superior de Ciências Policiais e Segurança Interna (ISCPSI), Ministério da Administração Interna. Professionally, among other posts held, he was President of the Instituto Diplomático, at the Portuguese Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros and Director of Policy Planning of the same Ministry, and President of the General Assembly of the Portuguese Society of International Law (SPDI). He is the author of twenty one books and over one hundred and thirty articles, and a member of some twenty scientific societies, both in Portugal and abroad. He carried out intensive fieldwork in the Philippines, in Angola, São Tomé e Príncipe, Cape Verde, and East-Timor. His work is published in 15 countries and in 12 languages, and he has given papers and/or organized courses in 43 countries.