On Wednesday, 10 November 2004, Leszek Balcerowicz will receive the Degree of Doctor Honoris Causa for his career from the Gerhard Mercator University at Duisburg. The German university decided to honour Mr. Balcerowicz for his contribution to the development of economic learning and for its skillful application in economic practice.

On Wednesday, 10 November 2004, Leszek Balcerowicz will receive from the Gerhard Mercator University at Duisburg the Degree of Doctor Honoris Causa for his career. The German university decided to honour Mr. Balcerowicz for his contribution to the development of economic learning and for its skillful application in economic practice. During the degree awarding ceremony, Leszek Balcerowicz will deliver a speech on "European Union Expansion and Making Up for the Economic Distance".

The beginning of Leszek Balcerowicz's cooperation with the Gerhard Mercator University at Duisburg streaches back to the final years of the 1970s. As adjunct professor at SGPiS (Warsaw School of Economics) he was an active member of a Polish-German group of young economists. In the following years this cooperation was continued and included invitations to Professor Balcerowicz to participate in academic seminars and deliver lectures.

This is already the 12th doctor honoris causa in Leszek Balcerowicz's career. Up to now he has thus been honoured, by amongst others, the University of Aix-en-Provence, the University of Sussex, the University of Szczecin, the University of Torun, The European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) and the University del Pacifico in Lima.