Antonio Loprieno

Antonio Loprieno is Professor of History of Institutions at the University of Basel, Switzerland. He assumed the Presidency of the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities, (ALLEA) in May 2018, after having served as Rector of the University of Basel, President of the Swiss Rectors’ Conference, and President of the Swiss Academy of Science and of the Austrian Science Council. He studied Egyptology, Linguistics, and Semitic studies at the University of Turin in Italy, and then taught at various European and American universities, including the University of Göttingen (Germany), the University of Perugia (Italy), and UCLA (USA).

His basic research is in the area of Egyptian and Semitic linguistics, ancient history, and cultural studies, particularly the interface of language and culture in ancient Near Eastern civilizations. But as a consequence of his service in academic leadership functions, he has become increasingly involved in higher education studies, science communication, and science advice. Currently, he also presides over the Science Advice Programme for European Academies (SAPEA), which is the academic arm of the EU Science Advice Mechanism (SAM).