Romano Prodi born in Scandiano (Reggio Emilia, Italy) in 1939. He is married with Flavia Franzoni. They have two sons. After graduation at the Faculty of Law of the Catholic University in Milan and at the London School of Economics. Academic career began at the Department of Economics, Faculty of Political science of the University of Bologna, as an assistant professor (1963), associate professor (1966) and full professor (1971-1999) of industrial organisation and industrial policy. He helped establish the "Italian school of industrial policy", and acted for several years as the editor of its quarterly journal, L'Industria, Rivista di Economia e Politica Industriale. In 1981 he founded Nomisma, the largest Italian institute of economic studies, whose scientific committee he chaired until 1995. From November 1978 to March 1979, Minister of Industry. From  November  1982  to  October  1989,  chairman  and  CEO  of  the  Institute  for  Industrial Reconstruction (IRI), the largest Italian public holding. In February 1995 he founded the "Olive tree". The coalition won the 1996 election and, in May 1996 till October 1998, he was Prime Minister. HisCabinet enabled Italy to meet the Maastricht criteria for joining the Euro zone. From 1999 to 2005 he has been President of the European Commission. During his presidency, the euro was successfully introduced and the Union was enlarged to 10 new countries. In 2006 Romano Prodi became again Prime Minister, until May 8, 2008. Since then, he is President of the Foundation for Worldwide Cooperation and from July 2008 to 2010 Chairman of the United Nations-African Union High-level Panel for Peacekeeping in Africa. From February 2009 to December 2013 Professor at-large at Brown University (USA). From 2010 to November 2015 Professor of CEIBS (China Europe International Business School) in Shanghai and now Member of the Board of the same School. From October 2012 to January 2014 Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Sahel. Romano Prodi has been awarded a number of recognitions and he also holds 38 honorary degrees.