Mario Filippo Pini, after completing high school in Italy, lived in various European countries supporting himself with random jobs. Nevertheless, he managed to receive a BA from the University of Pisa, Italy, and later a MA in Regional Studies, East Asia, from Harvard University. He entered the Italian Diplomatic Service in 1970, and during a career that lasted 36 years, he served in three postings to the People’s Republic of China. A Research Associate of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University since 2012, he has published essays on Sino-Italian relations, and a book titled Italia e Cina, 60 anni tra passato e futuro (Italy and China, 60 Years Between the Past and the Future) (2011).