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Dr. Elbert's Honorary Degree

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Dr. Norb Elbert (left in the picture below) was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from The University of Pécs on Thursday, 19 October 2000. Dr. Elbert, Chair of the Marketing, Management, and Administrative Communication Department in the College of Business and Technology at Eastern Kentucky University, became the 12th recipient of the Doctorem Honoris Causa from the faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Pécs. The University of Pécs was the first institution of higher education in Hungary, and can trace its roots back to 1367 when King Louis the Great established the university in the country of Pécs. The Business and Economics program has been in existence for 30 years, beginning as the Pécs Branch of Karl Marx University in 1970. The awarding of honorary doctorates was in celebration of this anniversary.

The Honorary Doctorate program is a week-long celebration which honors both the individual and the university. The activities included a Tuesday symphony created specifically for the occasion, a gala formal dinner on Wednesday, followed by the conferral of the degrees and lectures by each of the recipients. A Friday press conference concluded the week of activities. Four doctorates were awarded--two to professors in the United States and two to European colleagues. As Dr. Ferenc Farkas, professor and dean of the Business and Economics program stated, "To be an honorary doctor at a university which has been part of history since 1367 is by all means a great honour. On the other hand the title is also very important for the university, because with this confirmation it can admit eminent professors of sister universities and by this act the university can show its commitment towards the promotion and development of international relations."

Dr. Elbert first came to Hungary in 1991 as a Fulbright Scholar. Since that initial visit, he has returned on over a dozen occasions and collaborated in a number of publications including co-author of a textbook (Human Resource Management, Strategies for Managing a Diverse and Global Workforce) and the accompanying Instructor's Manual. This text is highly regarded and intensively used in the U.S. and well known in Europe as well. He has also co-authored one textbook in Hungary, and one in South Africa. As a Visiting Professor he has provided assistance several times in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Rumania.

Dr. Elbert currently teaches a Seminar in Global Management in the Masters of Business Administration program at Eastern. He resides with his wife Barb in Richmond, KY and has two children, a son Dennis in Lexington, and a daughter Lisa in Tampa, Florida.

For a pictorial history of the event, visit http://www.management.eku.edu/ELBERT/