Alessandro Merli, Associate Fellow at Johns Hopkins University SAIS Europe, is an economist and award-winning journalist. He is adjunct professor at the Bologna Business School (Università di Bologna). The main focus of his research is currently the European Central Bank. He is a member of the research and policy network on central bank communication, created by the Centre for Economic Policy Research with the cooperation of the ECB. He is a contributor to the Global Watch of the Istituto Studi di Politica Internazionale and is also an independent director at the Italian bank, Credito Emiliano. Merli was previously Frankfurt correspondent/ECB watcher, columnist, financial editor and UK correspondent at Il Sole 24 Ore (1985-2017). In 2014 he was voted best teacher in the Global MBA program at the Bologna Business School. He has taught at the universities of Parma (2008-2010) and Modena/Reggio Emilia (2002-2004). Mr. Merli received the following recognition for his journalism: IV Italy-Latin America Conference, special award of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2009); Citigroup Award for Journalistic Excellence, winner, 1st Italian edition (2002); and Order of the Southern Cross from the President of Brazil (2002). He is a graduate in Law of the Università di Modena (1981) and holds an MA in Economics from the University of Illinois (1987). He was a Visiting Scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1993).