Michelangelo PIPAN

Ambassador Michelangelo Pipan was born in Turin on 25th January 1949 and has a Degree in Law from the University of Turin  (1972).   Fellowship from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the ISPI (Institute for Studies in International Politics) in 1975/76. Entered the Foreign Service by public examination on May 4th, 1978 and after the course at the Diplomatic Institute has served  first at the Department for Legal Affairs and then, from November 1979, at the Office for Asia at the Department for Economic Affairs.   First diplomatic posting in Manila as Second (later First) Secretary from 15 March 1981, Charge d'Affairs for nearly a year, from September 1981 to August 1982. Promoted to First Secretary in November 1982 and on 1st June 1983 he was transferred to Vienna, where he worked mainly in the multilateral sector.   Deputy Head of Mission and Acting Counsellor in Nairobi from 27th June 1986, he was  promoted to Counsellor on 1st May 1988. After returning to Rome in September 1989 he worked at the Office for Latin America of the Department for Political Affairs, before moving in March 1990, to the Department for Development and Cooperation, where he headed the Office responsible for cooperation in education, training and cultural heritage. On 15th January 1993 he was entrusted the Office of the same Department, handling the Secretariat of the Steering Committee for Development and Cooperation.   Counsellor in London from 27th April 1993, handling the cultural and political sectors. Promoted to the rank of  First Counsellor on 1st January 1996 and on September 9th of that year he was posted to the Ministry of Public Education, University, Scientific and Technologic Research, as Diplomatic Advisor for International Affairs of the Hon. Minister. The post he held until early 2000, dealing among other things, the harmonization process of European Universities, that on 19th June 1999 led to the signing of the Declaration of Bologna. Posted in Tbilisi on 15th February 2000 were he opened the Embassy of Italy and stayed as Ambassador until May 2003. Upon his return he was appointed Head of the Office V, Department of Protocol, in charge of major multilateral events, handling among others the organization of the signing Ceremony of the European Constitutional Treaty and was then responsible for coordinating the activities of the Ministry in relation to the Winter Olympics in Turin.   Promoted to the rank of Minister Plenipotentiary on January 2nd, 2005, starting in July 2007 he served at the City of Rome as Diplomatic Adviser of the Mayor. Returning to the Ministry in April 2008 he took up the position of Coordinator for the Olympic Games in Beijing. From November 2008 he was also entrusted with the position of Coordinator of economic and cultural initiatives in Japan.   Ambassador Michelangelo Pipan is married to Mrs. Laila Novello (architect) and they have one son, Tommaso, born on 28th August 1980.