Paolo Branca, associate professor for Islamic and Arabic Studies at the Università Cattolica in Milan, Italy. An author of many papers and articles pertaining to Islam, interfaith dialogue, cultural integration, and other topics, he is associated with or has participated in academic seminars at various institutions, including the Pontificia Universitas Urbaniana; the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris; the Accademia della Guardia di Finanza in Bergamo; the universities of Lausanne, Pisa, Florence, and Torino; and University of 'Ain Shams, Cairo, Egypt.