Madrid /
Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy, was appointed Dean of the IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs, at IE University. Letta, currently President of the Jacques Delors Institute, will join on November 20. He will replace Manuel Muñiz, current Provost of IE University and President of the Board of IE New York College, in the position.
Letta, recognized for his experience at the highest political level, both in Italy and at the European level, was Prime Minister of the Italian Government between 2013 and 2014 and leader of the Italian Democratic Party from 2021 to 2023. He also held the positions of Minister of European Affairs in 1998, Minister of Industry between 1999 and 2001 and member of the European Parliament between 2004 and 2006.
“Letta has excellently combined his dedication to public service with a brilliant academic career as a professor at illustrious universities in Europe, the United States and Australia, in addition to an enormous activity as an author of books, the last of which provides a fundamental vision on the future of the European Single Market. His triple profile as a teacher, generator of knowledge and professional commitment is distinctive of the professors of our institution,” said Santiago Iñiguez de Onzoño, Executive President of IE University.
The director thanked Manuel Muñiz for his work as Dean of the School, a position he has held “brilliantly, reinforcing the school’s position internationally and expanding the academic footprint to territories such as politics and economics.” “Manuel Muñiz will combine his growing responsibilities as Provost of IE University with his new position as Chair of the Board of IE New York College,” he added.
While Enrico Letta stated that his incorporation “represents a great commitment on my part to Spain, a country that is clearly booming and making important contributions to the higher education landscape, and to IE University, a globally recognized institution with a highly qualified student body. diverse, an excellent teaching staff and an innovative project. My contribution as the new Dean of the IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs reinforces my continued commitment to issues related to European integration and the future of the European Single Market.”
Likewise, in the academic sphere, Letta, Doctor in European Law from the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Pisa, held the position of Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs in Science Po and the Presidency of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs ( APSIA) based in Washington DC. In 2023 and 2024, Enrico Letta was appointed Rapporteur of the European Union on the Future of the Single Market. And he currently chairs the GESDA Diplomatic Forum (the Geneva Science Diplomacy Anticipator).
While Manuel Muñiz, Provost of IE University, added: “It is an honor for me to pass the baton of the School to a figure of the stature of Enrico Letta. Enrico. I can only thank everyone who has helped us get here. Among them, without a doubt, Susana Malcorra, who assumed leadership of the School in 2020 and 2021. During the last 8 years we have achieved relevant milestones and now a new stage opens with unbeatable leadership.”
Academic footprint and international profile
For the last 8 years, IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs has had the leadership of Manuel Muñiz (2017-2020 and 2021-2024) and Susana Malcorra, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Argentina and former Chief of Staff of the Secretary General of the United Nations, (2020-2021). In this period, the School has expanded its academic footprint, its faculty, its students, its institutional projects and its international profile.
Reflecting this growth, since 2016, IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs has expanded its academic offering from 6 to 20 programs, including the launch of the Bachelor in Economics (2019), the Master in International Development (2019), the Master in Applied Economics (2022) and the new Bachelor in Political Science (2025). In addition, the School has just launched a Lifelong Learning program in Public Leadership.
The School’s student body has grown from 250 students in 2016 to around 1,900 today, from more than 100 countries. IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs promotes access to bright young people from all over the world, regardless of their financial means. With this objective, the amount of scholarships awarded to students has grown from 160,000 euros in 2017 to more than 2.5 million euros annually in 2024.
As for the internal faculty, it has hired PhD researchers from the main international universities, going from 3 to 30 full-time professors and researchers currently. As a reflection of its commitment to academic excellence and pedagogical innovation, the School has received international awards such as the Bronze Global Award in the Science of Learning 2024 from QS, the Intersection Award 2024 from APSIA or the McGillivray Award 2024.
A hallmark is its collaborations with international organizations and strategic partners such as the United Nations, which allow students to access educational and professional opportunities, as well as the development of dual programs and exchanges with the most prestigious universities in their sector. Likewise, the School has recently launched a Global Policy Center to consolidate applied research and expand its impact in this space.
