Born on 9 August 1939 in Scandiano (I)

Nationality: Italian

Assistant (1963–1966), Deputy Professor (1966–1971) and Professor (1971–1999) in the Department of Economics and the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Bologna

Minister for Industry, Trade and Craft Trades (1978–1979)

Head of the Institute for Industrial Reconstruction (IRI) (1982–1989)

Prime Minister (1996–1998; 2006–2008)

Member of the Chamber of Deputies (1998–1999)

President of the European Commission (1999–2004)

President of the African Union–United Nations Peacekeeping Panel (2008)

Professor at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University (since 2009)

Lecturer on Sino-European relations at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) (since 2010)

Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, for the Sahel (2012–2014)