Professor Alberto Alemanno Named to Project Syndicate’s Forward Thinkers List

HEC Paris is proud to share that Alberto Alemanno, Jean Monnet Professor in European Union Law, has been named to the inaugural Forward Thinkers List 2025 by Project Syndicate, released on April 17, 2025. This prestigious distinction recognizes influential voices from academia, policymaking, civil society, and the private sector whose innovative ideas are helping shape the global agenda for the years to come.

Unveiled for the first time this year, the Forward Thinkers List aims to spotlight “emerging intellectual innovators” from academia, civil society, policymaking, and business. Project Syndicate selected 30 individuals whose ideas provide fresh, insightful perspectives on today’s most urgent global challenges—from climate change and economics to geopolitics and the future of liberal democracy.

A List of Thinkers Shaping Tomorrow’s World

“Each participant is a leader in their field, and we believe their insights will not only shape public discourse within their respective countries but also have a growing impact on the global stage in the years to come,” notes Project Syndicate.

Professor Alemanno’s inclusion reflects the broad reach and impact of his scholarly work aimed at designing power-shifting reforms, new institutions and campaigns countering social, health, economic, and political disparities of access within society, particularly within the European Union.

“I'm honored to appear among so many thinkers and doers whose work has been a source of awe and daily inspiration over the years,” commented Professor Alemanno.

This new recognition adds to an impressive list of distinctions:

•    Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum (2015)
•    European Young Leader (#EYL40), Friends of Europe (2014)
•    Ashoka Fellow, for social entrepreneurship (2019)
•    Social Innovation Thought Leader, Schwab Foundation (2022)
•    Politico Power 40 – Brussels Class of 2023
•    Democracy Fellow, Harvard University (2025)
 

Alberto Alemanno: Engaged Academic and Civic Advocate

At a critical moment when democratic systems and humanity at large face existential challenges, and when scientific expertise is increasingly questioned, Alberto Alemanno champions a socially engaged and solution-oriented vision of academia. He urges scholars to step out of their ivory towers, to not only participate actively in public discourse, but also to produce research that, while grounded in scientific rigor, proactively addresses the most intractable societal problems (“Knowledge comes with responsibility”: Why academic ivory towerism can’t be the answer to legal scholactivism, International Journal of Constitutional Law, Volume 20, Issue 2, April 2022). As he recently put it: 

“Being paid to think is quite a privilege, hence our academic duty to engage with society by contributing to inform the public debate and provide solutions grounded in scientific evidence to decision-makers who are constantly in need for fresher ideas and analytical expertise”.

Pioneering New Forms of Civic Participation

Committed to bridging academic research and policy action, Professor Alemanno has pioneered new forms of civic engagement, most notably through the concept of citizen lobbying and lobbying for good.

In 2015, after pioneering clinical legal education at HEC Paris and across Europe, he founded The Good Lobby, a nonprofit organization that democratizes access to policymaking by enhancing the advocacy capacity of civil society while making corporate lobbying more transparent, ethical, and sustainable. 

His 2017 book, Lobbying for Change: Find Your Voice to Create a Better Society (Icon Books), offers a practical guide to citizen empowerment and participatory democracy. In it, he proposes actionable strategies to give everyone a voice, renew civic life, and counter populist narratives - a topic on which he continues to speak out regularly in the international press. 

Most recently, in an article published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Alemanno expanded on the lobbying-for-good movement. He outlined a five-step roadmap (Demystify, Democratize, Level-up and Fund, Make Accountable Lobbying as a legitimate form of participation) to ultimately reshape public perceptions surrounding this phenomenon, increase nonprofit advocacy capacity, and push for more transparent and responsible corporate lobbying.

Project Syndicate: a platform for influential voices

Project Syndicate is an international media organization and opinion platform that publishes commentary and analysis on global affairs, economics, politics, development, sustainability, innovation, and culture. It features contributions from leading thinkers, policymakers, academics, and public intellectuals from around the world, aiming to shape international debates and provide diverse perspectives on current issues. The platform is known for its focus on influential voices challenging conventional wisdom and addressing pressing global challenges

Learn More:
•    Discover the full Forward Thinkers List 2025 on Project Syndicate’s website.
•    Read Alberto Alemanno’s latest columns on Project Syndicate.
•    Explore Professor Alemanno’s HEC Paris faculty profile and personal website