Francesco Profumo (born 3 May 1953) is an Italian engineer and academic who was Italy's Minister of Education from 16 November 2011 to 28 April 2013. He has been President of the National Research Council (CNR) since August 2011 and had previously served as Chancellor of the Politecnico di Torino from 2005 to 2011.

Early life and education

Profumo was born in

Savona Savona (; lij, Sann-a ) is a seaport and ''comune'' in the west part of the northern Italy, Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea. Savona used to be one of the chie ...

on 3 May 1953. He studied electronic engineering at the Polytechnic University of Turin and graduated in 1977.

Career

Profumo started his professional career in

research and development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in Europe as research and technological development (RTD), is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products, and improving existi ...

Ansaldo Ansaldo Energia S.p.A. is an Italian power engineering company. It is based in Genoa, Italy. The absorbed parent company, Gio. Ansaldo & C., started in 1853. It was taken over by Leonardo S.p.A. In 2011, Leonardo S.p.A. sold 45% stake in An ...

in Genova in 1978 and served there until 1984. In 1985, he moved to Torino as a researcher and

associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. Overview In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...

at the local Politecnico. In 2003, he was named dean of the 1st engineering faculty of the Politecnico, and in 2005, he became rector of the university. On 13 August 2011, he succeeded Luciano Maiani as the president of the National Research Council (CNR). On 16 November 2011, Prime Minister

Mario Monti Mario Monti, (born 19 March 1943) is an Italian economist and academic who served as the Prime Minister of Italy from 2011 to 2013, leading a technocratic government in the wake of the Italian debt crisis. Monti served as a European Commiss ...

appointed him Minister of Education. In 2016 Profumo was appointed President of Compagnia di San Paolo. As of September 2020, he is a member of the Italian

Aspen Institute The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1949 as the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies. The institute's stated aim is the realization of "a free, just, and equitable society" through seminars, policy programs ...

Other activities

* Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), Member of the BoardBoard
Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Profumo, Francesco Academic staff of the Polytechnic University of Turin 1953 births Living people People from Savona Italian academic administrators Education ministers of Italy National Research Council (Italy) people