João Paulo Nicolini Gabriel holds a PhD in Political Science from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil, and the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Belgium, under a joint doctoral programme. He is the recipient of the 2024 CAPES/MRE Award for the Best Doctoral Thesis in International Relations. His research focuses on International Relations, Science and Technology in emerging countries, and International Political Economy, with particular emphasis on global governance, nuclear diplomacy, and the role of middle powers in the reconfiguration of the international order.

Research

• International Relations
• Political Economy
• Science and Technology
• Brazilian Economic Development

João's research agenda explores the intersections between International Relations, Science and Technology, and International Political Economy, with a special focus on emerging powers. He investigate how global governance regimes—particularly in nuclear diplomacy and science policy—shape the developmental trajectories of middle powers and their aspirations for international status.

João is also interested in the political economy of innovation, de-dollarization, and the role of technoscience in reshaping global hierarchies. Combining qualitative and comparative approaches, his work bridges perspectives from the Global South with mainstream theories, seeking to illuminate inequalities and opportunities within the contemporary multipolar order.

Expertise and public engagement

• Higher Education Institutions Rankings - Member of the Data Governance Office from the Federal University of Minas Gerais