The tradition of awarding honorary doctorates appeared at the university in the mid-1960s. Professor Wiesław Sadowski was the Rector of the Central School of Planning and Statistics (SGPiS) then. The Soviet mathematician and economist Leonid Witalewicz Kantorowicz was the first to receive this title in 1968. The graduation ceremony took place in May 1976.
The diploma of doctor honoris causa shall be drawn up in Latin, in which the name of the university shall read „Schola Princeps Scientiarum Oeconomicarum et Commercii”.
2024 – WIESŁAW ROZŁUCKI
On 15 March 2024, a ceremony was held to award the title of doctor honoris causa to Wiesław Rozłucki, PhD, co-creator of the concept and implementation of the reconstruction of the capital market in Poland, first president of the Warsaw Stock Exchange in 1991–2006.
2023 – Mamoru Kaneko
On 3 April 2023, a ceremony was held to award the title of doctor honoris causa to prof. Mamoru Kaneko, professor emeritus at the University of Tsukuba and at the Waseda University.
Honoris Causa Doctorate Ceremony for Professor Mamoru Kaneko
Ceremony of conferment of the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa upon Professor Mamoru Kaneko on YouTube
2022 – JÓZEF ORCZYK
On 21 November 2022, a ceremony was held to award the title of doctor honoris causa to prof. Józef Orczyk, professor emeritus at the Poznań University of Economics and Business and the WSB University in Poznań.
2022 – Michel Librowicz
On 23 June 2022, a ceremony was held to award the title of doctor honoris causa to prof. Michel Librowicz, professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal.
2019 – Jerzy Hausner
On 27 November 2019, a ceremony was held to award the title of doctor honoris causa to prof. Jerzy Hausner, professor at the Cracow University of Economics, Chairman of the Programme Council of the Open Eyes Economy Summit.
2018 – Paul H. Dembiński
On 24 October 2018, Paul H. Dembiński, Director of the Observatory of Finance in Geneva and Professor at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, was awarded the title of doctor honoris causa. „The nominee is one of the most eminent economist-financiers of the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, with an intellectual output that has made a special contribution to the development and shaping of the modern, social image of finance on the international stage” – states the Laudation by prof. Janusz Ostaszewski.
2018 – Frans Willekens
On 28 March 2018, the title of doctor honoris causa was conferred on prof. Frans Willekens, a world-renowned scholar whose work has had an enormous impact on the development of population studies and their methodology over the last half century.
2017 – Krzysztof Pietraszkiewicz
On 11 October 2017, Krzysztof Pietraszkiewicz – Polish banker, economist - was awarded an honorary doctorate. Since 2003, he has continuously held the position of President of the Polish Bank Association. He is a contributor to a number of banking system infrastructure entities, including: Centre for Banking Law and Information, National Clearing House, Credit Information Bureau, InfoMonitor Economic Information Bureau and the Banker’s Club.
2015 – Edward I. Altman
On 12 October 2015, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on prof. Edward I. Altman, Professor of Finance at the Stern School of Business, New York University, specialising in risk management. He is an internationally recognised authority on corporate bankruptcy prediction, junk bonds, credit markets and credit risk analysis. His 1968 model for predicting corporate bankruptcy (Z-Score) is internationally recognised and widely used.
2014 – Stanisław Szuszkiewicz
On 5 June 2014, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on prof. Stanisław Szuszkiewicz (1934-2022), former President of the Supreme Council of the Belarusian SSR/Soviet Council of the Republic of Belarus of the XIIth term and Head of State of the independent Republic of Belarus in 1991-1994. He is a professor and member-correspondent of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. In recognition of his public service, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
2012 – Sándor Kerekes
On 29 March 2012, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on prof. Sándor Kerekes, a leading specialist in environmental and natural resource economics in Central and Eastern Europe, Vice President of the Hungarian National Council for the Environment and member of the Presidential Scientific Council for the Environment at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He introduced environmental themes into the curriculum of Corvinus University, where he held the positions of dean, director of MBA programmes and vice-chancellor.
2010 – Stanisław Sołtysiński
On 13 May 2010, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on prof. Stanisław Sołtysiński, one of the most eminent Polish lawyers at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, co-creator of the Commercial Companies Code - the legal foundation of the market economy in Poland and a scientist whose work not only had a lasting impact on the economic legislation of Poland and the European Union and on the jurisprudence of Polish, American and German courts, but also contributed to strengthening the modern image of Polish science in the international arena.
2009 – Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka
On 20 November 2009, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on prof. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, UN Deputy Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Habitat human settlements programme. Anna Tibaijuka is a professor at the University of Dar es Salam (Tanzania), a fellow of many distinguished universities and institutions, and a respected specialist in agricultural economics. Prof. Marek Bryx wrote in his Laudation: „the highest academic dignity is awarded to a person whose life message has become a concern for social justice. Professor Tibaijuka not only has the courage to speak out about the problems of modern civilisation, but she also shows great determination in taking action - whether in the fight against the slums in which more than a billion citizens of our planet live, or in creating equal opportunities for economic and social development, regardless of a person’s place of birth and social standing”.
2007 – José Manuel Durão Barroso
On 8 November 2007, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, Prime Minister of Portugal from 2002 to 2004 and President of the European Commission from 2004 to 2014. He received the DHC dignity for his political activities.
2007 – Leszek Balcerowicz
On 18 April 2007, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on prof. Leszek Balcerowicz for his significant contribution to science and his undeniable merits in achieving the historic breakthrough that was the systemic transformation of the Polish economy.
2004 – Józef Sołdaczuk
On 21 April 2004, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on prof. Józef Sołdaczuk for his immense and pioneering academic achievements, his great involvement in the dissemination of economic knowledge in the circles of the Polish government during the period of centrally planned economy and the role he played in creating the organisational foundations for research and teaching in the field of international economic relations.
2003 – Dirk J. van de Kaa
On 7 May 2003, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on prof. Dirk J. van de Kaa for his contribution to thinking about population processes in Europe and his activity in organising population studies.
2002 – Ronald W. Jones
On 10 April 2002, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on prof. Ronald W. Jones for his innovative work on international trade, including his explanation of the reasons for international trade in goods.
2001 – Wolfgang Michalski
On 13 June 2001, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on prof. Wolfgang Michalski. The Academic Council of the Collegium of the World Economy, which came up with this initiative, highly valued the professor’s scientific output and stressed the importance of the thematic area in which his work was focused.
1999 – Zdzisław Fedorowicz
On 14th April 1999, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa to prof. Zdzisław Z. Fedorowicz for a very extensive and valuable body of work in the field of economics, in particular the theory of public finance, corporate finance and the theory of money and credit under conditions of a centrally planned and market economy.
1999 – Jean Chrétien
On 26 January 1999, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on Jean Chrétien, a person of exceptional academic and non-academic merit. The title was awarded on the basis of his activity and participation in public life.
1997 – Hans Joachim Paffenholz
On 9 April 1997, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on Hans-Joachim Paffenholz for his scientific merits, his attitude as a researcher and teacher, his great teaching achievements and his contribution to the organisation of scientific cooperation between his university and SGH.
1995 – Edward Franciszek Szczepanik
On 26 April 1995, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on prof. Edward Franciszek Szczepaniak. The explanatory memorandum for the conclusions highlighted that he is an internationally recognised expert in agricultural economics and food economics of developing countries.
1995 – Gary Stanley Becker
On 1 March 1995, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on Gary Stanley Becker, Nobel Laureate of 1992, – „I consider the request for an honorary doctorate to be fully justified, both by the subject matter and the innovation of thought contained in the published works” - wrote prof. J.Z. Holzer in his opinion on the scientific achievements of G.S. Becker.
1994 – Jan Drewnowski
On 13 April 1994, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on prof. Jan Drewnowski. T. Kowalik in his opinion on the professor’s scientific achievements wrote, among others: „Social indicators remain Drewnowski’s lasting achievement. Through them he was indeed able to make a significant approximation of economic theory to reality… Drewnowski, paradoxically, contributed quite a lot to our knowledge of the collectivist state and its social preferences”.
1994 – Leonid Hurwicz
On 13 April 1994, a ceremony was held to confer the title of doctor honoris causa on Leonid Hurwicz, winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Economics. Promoters and reviewers in the dissertation highlighted the professor’s achievements in: econometrics, mainly mathematical programming theory and game theory, general equilibrium theory and efficient economic systems as well as institutional transformation.
1992 – Stanisław Rączkowski
On 4 March 1992, the title of doctor honoris causa was conferred upon prof. Stanisław Rączkowski for his special contribution to the development of economic and financial sciences in Poland and for his activities aimed at improving the effects of the state’s economic policy in its relations with foreign countries.
1992 – Jean H. P. Paelinck
On 4 March 1992, Jean H.P. Paelinck become doctor honoris causa. He is an eminent scholar, economist with extensive interests and a widely respected scientific output (especially in the field of regional research, including the construction of regional econometric models. His work has had a significant impact on the development of spatial econometrics, among other things).
1992 – John Kenneth Galbraith
On 22 January 1992, John Kenneth Galbraith, an advocate of Keynesianism and state interventionism, US administration official, advisor to presidents: Franklin D. Roosevelt, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton, was awarded a title of doctor honoris causa. J.K. Galbraith did not attend the ceremony and did not collect his diploma.
1990 – Alexander Dubček
On 4 July 1990, Alexander Dubček, the hero of the Prague Spring and the Velvet Revolution, was awarded the title of doctor honoris causa by SGH Warsaw School of Economics. (A. Dubcek did not collect the award due to death).
1976 – Nikołaj Prokofiewicz Fiedorenko
On 22 April 1976, Nikołaj Prokofiewicz Fedorenko (Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, advisor to the Presidium of the Academy, chief scientific consultant of the Institute of Market Problems) was awarded the title of doctor honoris causa by SGPiS. He received this dignity for his services in improving planning and management in the socialist economy, at the request of the Council of the Faculty of Finance and Statistics.
1970 – Cyrus Stephen Eaton
In 1970, the American businessman Cyrus Stephen Eaton, entrepreneur, innovator in heavy industry and the financial sector, was awarded the title of doctor honoris causa by SGPiS. He has also made a significant contribution to the organisation of international conferences on disarmament and world peace.
1970 – Edward Lipiński
Edward Lipiński was awarded the title of doctor honoris causa by SGPiS. During the ceremony, Rector prof. Wiesław Sadowski stated that the doctorate is a special recognition for outstanding scientific and educational achievements and social activities, while the supervisor – prof. K. Secomski – that E. Lipiński continuously and persistently shaped the reality in science and economy.
1968 – Leonid Witaliewicz Kantorowicz
In 1968, the first title of doctor honoris causa of SGH Warsaw School of Economics was awarded to Leonid Witalewicz Kantorowicz, Soviet mathematician and economist, winner of the 1975 Nobel Prize in Economics (for his work on the optimal allocation of scarce resources).