Nuno Marques

Background

About Nuno Marques

Jurist and political scientist with a strong interdisciplinary background and a deep commitment to human rights, democracy, education and technology. I currently serve in multiple roles, including Deputy Mayor of Notodden (part-time), Assistant Professor at OsloMet and PhD student in Law at Leeds Law School, Leeds Beckett University. In June 2025, I was selected as an International Election Observer through NORCAP, contributing to global efforts to promote democratic governance, protect civil and political rights and ensure the integrity of electoral processes. My academic and professional journey is shaped by a unique foundation: a 15-year career as a professional footballer (1998–2013), with the final decade spent in Norway. This experience instilled in me key values such as teamwork, resilience, discipline and the ability to perform under pressure. I later served ten seasons as goalkeeper coach for Notodden FK’s first team and now continue in this role on a more personal level as coach to my son. Parallel to my athletic career, I pursued higher education, completing a BSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (2013), an MSc in International Relations (2016) and an LLM in International Law and Diplomacy (2020). All of these degrees were earned while working full-time, demonstrating strong dedication and time management. I previously began a PhD at the University of Birmingham and now continue this research at Leeds, focusing on how global power dynamics and geopolitical tensions shape cyberspace governance, including questions of sovereignty, the role of non-state actors and the development of international legal norms. I am fluent in Portuguese (native), English, and Norwegian and have working knowledge of Spanish and French. In addition to my academic and political work, I am an active public voice in both Norway and Portugal, regularly publishing opinion articles on topics related to international affairs, democracy, cybersecurity, social justice and football.