Prof. Paolo Blasi

Paolo Blasi is Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Florence. He was Director of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics National Laboratory in Legnarno from 1979 to 1982 and was Vice President of the National Institute of Optics from 1987 to 1996. He was Rector of the University of Florence from 1991 to 2000, and Chair of the Italian Rector’s Conference from 1994 to 1998.

Since 1995 he has been a member of the Administrative Board of the International Association of Universities, and since 1998 a member of the Board of the Association of European Universities (where he served as Vice President until 2001). He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council for Scientific Research from 1999 to 2003, a member of the Supreme Council of the Banca d’Italia from 1999 to 2012, and a member of the European Research Advisory Board.

He received the Honorary title of Doctor of Humane Letters and Sir Harold Acton Award in 2000, both from New York University; Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Lègion d’Honneur, France; and the honorary title of Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Arizona.