Carmen Martinez-Vargas holds a PhD in Development Studies from the University of the Free State (South Africa) where she also taught postgraduate courses in Participatory Research Methodologies, Southern Theories and Development Studies. Her doctoral thesis focused on conceptualising and operationalising a Capabilities based participatory research project with university students in South Africa. She has published her academic work on epistemic capabilities, participatory research and colonial conversion factors in higher education in refereed journals, and as book chapters in various edited volume books. Her research interests broadly focus on Decolonial and Southern thinking using the Capabilities Approach in Higher Education.