Grazia Marchianò, Ph. D. at the University of Rome (1971), did her postgraduate studies in Indian philosophies and religions at Visva-Bharati University, Shantiniketan, India. A scholar in comparative philosophy and aesthetics, she has vastly contributed to introducing transcultural and oriental studies in the Italian aesthetic community as promoter and coordinator of dozens of scholarly events in Western & Eastern academic contexts, as editor of the series Aesthetics East & West (6 vols. ) with Rubbettino Publisher, Messina (1993-1996), and Oriental Philosophies with the Istituti Editoriali Internazionali (Pisa-Rome) (2 vols. ) (1996-1997). Former Vicepresident of the International Association for Aesthetics (IAA)(1994-1998), Honorary President of the Italian Association for Aesthetics (AISE) since 2000, she is recipient of a honorary doctorate from the Open University, Edinburgh 2004. Former Professor of Aesthetics and History and Civilizations of Eastern Asia at the University of Siena-Arezzo, she is presently engaged in Buddhist esoteric studies and intercultural research in world spiritual traditions. She is keeper of Elémire Zolla’s intellectual heritage, and curator of his collected works. In the year marking the 80th anniversary of his birth, she has published Zolla’s intellectual biography, Il conoscitore di segreti (The Knower of Secrets), at Rizzoli, Milan, and edited the collection of Zolla’s writings appeared in the journal Conoscenza religiosa, which he founded and directed at La Nuova Italia, Florence (1969-1983): Elémire Zolla. Scritti 1969-1983, Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, Rome 2006. The establishing of A. I. R. E. Z., follows the construction of web site in Zolla’s name:http://www. elemirezolla. net.
For a full profile and bibliography of Prof. Marchianò see entry: Curatrice at www.elemirezolla.net