Bernardino León Gross is the Director General of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy. He is a veteran diplomat with a career spanning over 27 years. He has served as the UN Special Representative and Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya. Previously, he was the European Union SR to the Southern Mediterranean, Secretary General at Spanish prime minister Office and Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs. His career has focused on mediation and negotiations, covering also intercultural dialogue, security, energy and migration. He founded with Edward Said and Daniel Barenboim the Barenboim-Said Foundation. He has worked in different Human Rights initiatives, particularly in the Arab world. He played a key role in the EU “peace team” delegation that followed the Oslo process. Following the events of the Arab Spring, he mediated crucial talks in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia. He holds a diploma in International Relations from the University of Barcelona and a degree in Law from the University of Malaga, Spain, and followed post graduate courses at London King’s College and Sorbonne University.