Patrizio Bianchi is Chairholder of the Unesco Chair “Education, Growth and Equality”, Emeritus Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Ferrara, where he founded the Facolty of Economics (1998) and was Rector (2004-2010). He was Councilor of the Emilia-Romagna Region for Education, University and Research (2010-2020) and Minister of Education of the Italian Government chaired by Mario Draghi (2021-2022). He is a member of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei.
In the late 80s and in the 90s, Patrizio Bianchi advised Chinese Government for the industrial development of the Guang Dong Province, and the Interamerican Development Bank Presidency for the development of the internal areas in Argentina, and UNIDO and OECD for the development of Northern Africa countries.
After the Rectorate he assumed the role of Councilor for European Development Policies, School, Training, Research, University and Labour of the Emilia-Romagna Region. In 2012-14 he managed the restart of educational activities after the earthquake of May 20-29, 2012; then, he directed the activities for the design and activation of the big data and artificial intelligence technopole in Bologna. As Minister of Education of the Italian Government chaired by Mario Draghi, he reopened the schools after Covid-19 in the entire country, and designed and implemented the reform of the Technical school and of the High tech school. At international level he co-chaired the Unesco Committee preparing the “UN Summit on Transforming Education to Transform the World”, that opened the General Session of the UN assembly, September 19, 2022.
He published more than 200 articles and 40 books on industrial and applied economics, political economy, industrial and education policy.