MARIA PAULA MENESES (PhD Rutgers in Antropology 1999; MA St.Petersburg State University in History, 1987), is a Principal researcher at the Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra, Portugal. Her research interests combine the disciplines of anthropology, history, with a focus on the political history of Southern Africa (more specifically, Mozambique, Angola and South Africa). She has conducted various projects focusing on the relationship between official history, memory(ies) and other narratives of belonging in contemporary identity struggles, in African contexts. Another of the topics in which she has been working focuses on the possibilities of decolonization of the university, a topic that she has addressed particularly from her African experience. A Mozambican scholar, she attended secondary school in Maputo, and later on did her graduate studies in Russia (MA in History from St. Petersburg University) and obtained her PhD by Rutgers University, USA. Previously she was a Professor at Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique. At CES Maria Paula Meneses develops several research projects and teaches in two PhD programs, namely Postcolonialisms and Global Citizenship and Feminist Studies. She has oriented various PhD students, both in Coimbra and internationally. Currently she is an invited Professor in the PhD Program in contemporary history at Pedagogic University, Mozambique, as well as Paris 8. Maria Paula Meneses participates in several national and international research networks, including international projects under the scope of EU (Horizon 2020). Her work has been published in journals, books and reports in several countries, on her research topics (Mozambique, Spain, Portugal, Senegal, USA, England, Germany, Colombia, etc.), such as Journal of Southern African Studies, Africa Development, Revista Crítica de Ciências Sociais, Caligrama, Gragoáta, Topi, etc. Currently she is an elected member of the direction of the International Association for Social Sciences and Humanities in Portuguese Language (AILPScH) and member of the scientific board of CORA (Collective for the Renewal of Africa).