Manuel holds a law degree from the University of Lisbon and continued his studies in the Netherlands, completing a master’s degree in Public Policy and Human Development through a double-degree programme of the United Nations University and Maastricht University. Since 2024, he has been a social project manager at IPAV, working with schools, higher education institutions, residential care homes and prisons in Portugal, as well as with international partners in overseas projects, as part of the Ubuntu Leaders Academy social and emotional learning programme.