Lurdes Vidal was the Director of the Arab and Islamic World Department at IEMed until 2022. Having held various positions at the IEMed since 2003, Lurdes was Editor-in-Chief of the journal afkar/idees, Sientific Coordinator of MAGIC (Muslim women and communities Against Gendered Islamophobia in soCiety), and Sientific Coordinator of CONNEKT, H2020 research project, which studies the drivers of radicalisation and violent extremism among youth in MENA and the Balkans.

She lectures on Mediterranean, Arab and Islamic Studies at the CEI international affairs, the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI) and at Blanquerna-Ramon Llull University.

Graduated in Translation and Interpreting from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, she lived in Damascus before studying International Relations and becoming a translator for migrant-related and development cooperation organisations.

Passionate about the Arab world, researching into political Islam since 1998, Lurdes is a regular contributor to different media outlets.