Rodríguez Alcázar, María

María Rodríguez Alcázar is a PhD Fellow at UNU-CRIS and Ghent University, supported by the Special Research Fund (BOF) Scholarship. Her research explores how citizens and civil society engage in the governance of Regional Organisations.

She currently serves as an advisor at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. María holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the Complutense University of Madrid (2017) and a Master’s in African Studies from ISCTE-IUL, University Institute of Lisbon (2019). She worked as an international analyst at Estudios de Política Exterior S.A. and the Centre for International Studies of ISCTE. Her academic path has been supported by the “la Caixa” Fellowship and the Carlos V grant from the Yuste Foundation.

María is deeply committed to political impact and advocates for using research to drive policy and advance human rights. Since the age of 14, she has held leadership roles in various civil society organisations, from local initiatives to European platforms. In 2023–2024, she served as President of the European Youth Forum and currently sits on the Steering Board of several human rights-focused organisations.