Giovanni Andrea Cornia is Professor of Economics at the University of Florence where he teaches development economics, macroeconomics, inequality and growth, and political economy of development. He held visiting professorships or fellowships at the Universities of Pavia, Helsinki, Auvergne-CERDI, Oxford, Cambridge, and the Joint Master in Development of the Universities of Bologna and Buenos Aires. He lectured in universities, aid agencies and research centres in developing and developed countries. Between December 2006 and March 2009 he was the Director of IRPET, the economic research centre of Tuscany. Prior to his appointment to the University of Florence, Cornia served as Director of UNU-WIDER. Before that he was the Director of the Economic and Social Policy Research Programme of ICDC (the research centre of UNICEF based in Florence). He also held research positions at Unicef Headquartes (1981-1988), UNCTAD (1978-81), UN-ECE (1974-8), and the Economic Studies Centre of FIAT (1972-4).