Attilio Celant


Attilio Celant, 2nd Class / Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, is an Italian economist, geographer and academic.
He is currently the President of the “Alumni Association of Graduates in Economics“ at Sapienza University of Rome, which includes some of the most illustrious members of the Italian economic intelligentsia.
In 1968, he graduated in Economics at "Sapienza" University of Rome. From 1969 to 1972 he was editor at the Enciclopedia Italiana di scienze, lettere ed arti – Treccani and from 1972 to 2000 he was the head of both Geography and Map-making publishing units.
Attilio Celant began his university teaching tenure on 1971 and was assistant professor a year later. He was promoted to associate professor in 1982 and in 1986 he became a tenured professor. In 1989 Celant was granted full professor.
In June 2005, he was appointed “Grande Ufficiale” of the Order of Merit of Italian Republic.

Academic career

“Sapienza” University of Rome”

Celant currently serves as President of the “Alumni Association of Graduates in Economics“ at La Sapienza University of Rome. The association serves as a catalyst for the diffusion of economic knowledge and best business practices by many Italian and international leaders on a worldwide stage.
Celant also serves as the Director of Territory Research Unit at ItaliaDecide, an Italian think tank which links institutions, politicians, administrative offices and scientific and cultural world.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of the “Società Geografica Italiana”.
He is also a member of the Management Board of the Italian Centre for American Studies.

Research

Attilio Celant developed his expertise on several research fields, including regional development and territorial imbalances issues, with particular focus to the “Questione Meridionale”. He also conducted research on developing countries with focus on the Indian region and the area of Sahel.
He addressed issues concerning geographical methodology and the quantitative tools used for its study. He contributed to the evolution of geographical thought and tourism development including its impact with the local economies and territories. He also dealt with issues of international trade, with particular attention to regional competitiveness factors.
Professor Celant attended several National Congresses about Geography, where he submitted his own contributions, conducted basic relationships and participated in discussions over the invited papers. He took part in numerous international congresses of Geography by presenting his well-known works: Montréal, Moscow, Tokyo.
Prof. Celant lives in Rome with his wife Alberta who is a retired teacher. They have three children: Simone, Chiara and Lucia.

Honors