Pope appoints new Members of Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences

By Vatican News

Pope Francis on Friday appointed Pedro Morandé Court, from Chile; Mario Draghi, from Italy; and Kokunre Adetokunbo Agbontaen Eghafona, from Nigeria, as Ordinary Members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences was established by Pope John Paul II on 1 January 1994, with the aim of promoting the study and progress of the social sciences, primarily economics, sociology, law and political science. The Academy helps offer the Church those elements which she can use in the development of her social doctrine, and reflects on the application of that doctrine in contemporary society.

Pedro Morandé Court

Professor Pedro Morandé Court was born in Santiago del Cile, Chile, on 3 August 1948. He has a degree in Sociology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (UC), and a doctorate in Sociology from the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany).

He served as full Professor and then Head of the Department of Sociology (1987-1990) at UC; and later Pro-Rector (1990-1995) and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences (1995-2014). He is currently Professor emeritus. Professor Morandé Court specialized in Sociology of Culture and Religion and Sociology of the Family, with particular regard to the Latin American people and their social history. He has published numerous articles on the family and cultural identity of Latin America.

Mario Draghi

Professor Mario Draghi was born in Rome on 13 September 1947. He graduated with a degree in Economic Policy from the Sapienza University of Rome, and obtained his doctorate in Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 1981 he became full Professor of Economics and Monetary Policy at the “Cesare Alfieri” Faculty of the University of Florence.

He was Executive Director of the World Bank, and later Director General of the Ministry of the Treasury of the Italian government. He was governor of the Bank of Italy from 2005-2011, and chairman of the Financial Stability Board of from 2006-2011.

In 2011 he became President of the European Central Bank, a post he held until 2019. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) and the Group of Thirty (G30). Professor Draghi is the author of numerous publications, with contributions on topics ranging from macroeconomics to the international economy and monetary policy.

Kokunre Adetokundo Agbontaen Eghafona

Professor Kokunre Adetokunbo Agbontaen Eghafona was born in London on 1 October 1959. She studied at the University of Benin, in Benin City, Nigeria, graduating with an undergraduate degree and later a Master of Arts in History. She also obtained a Master of Science in Archaeology and Anthropology from the University of Ibadan (Nigeria).

At the University of Benin, she has been a Lecturer at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology since 1992; Senior Lecturer in 1996, Associate Professor in 2003, and full Professor in 2008. She has also held a number of administrative positions including Head of the Department of Sociology (2009-2013) and Director of part-time programs (2016).

She has been responsible for sustainable development within the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network (2012-2017). Professor Agbontaen Eghafona is the author of numerous academic publications. Her current scientific activities include measures to combat human trafficking in Nigeria.