Andrea Francioni graduated in Political Science (1992) and has a PhD in History of Africa (1998). He was post-doctoral fellow (1998-2000) and research grant holder for the historical-international area (2000-2004) at the University of Siena. Since 2005 he has been Associate Professor of History of International Relations at the Department of Political and International Science. He has conducted research and study periods spent in archives, libraries and cultural institutions in Italy and abroad: London (The National Archives, SOAS), Paris (Diplomatic Archives du Ministère des Affaires Étrangères), Uppsala (Nordiska Afrikainstitutet), Bristol (Chinese Maritime Customs Project - University of Bristol), Belfast (the McClay Library - Queen's University), Beijing (Beijing Foreign Studies University), Mexico City (El Colegio de México). He is part of the Scientific Council of "Africana" (Category A magazine for sector 14 / B2)), of the editorial committee of the "International Political Studies Review" and of the editorial team of "Storia & Futuro". He is an external auditor for the "Nuova Rivista Storica". He is a member of the Association for Asian Studies (Ann Arbor), of the Association of Extra-European Studies (Pisa) and of the Italian Society of International History (Padua). His current research interests include the foreign policy of the People's Republic of China and Western imperialism in China of the last Qing.