Romano Prodi received an honorary doctorate from TUM. From left to right: President of TUM Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann, Prof. Eugénia da Conceição-Heldt, Prof. Romano Prodi and Dean Prof. Gunther Friedl. Image: Thomas Kiewning / TUM
The TUM School of Management has awarded an honorary doctorate to former EU Commission President Romano Prodi on October 25, 2021 at the TUM Audimax. In doing so, it honored the economist and two-time Italian prime minister for his outstanding academic and political contributions to economics and European unification.
The laudatory speech for the Doctor honoris causa was held by former Bavarian Minister President Dr. Dr. h.c. Edmund Stoiber via video message. Prodi was “one of the fathers of the reunification of the continent” due to his importance in the enlargement of the EU to include numerous Eastern European countries. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also sent a video message. She recalled that the euro was introduced during Prodi’s term as Commission President.
Prof. Gunther Friedl, Dean of the TUM School of Management, emphasized Prodi´s vision on entrepreneurship in shaping globalization and worldwide challenges such as climate change. Prodi remains committed to this field today. Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann, President of TUM, called Romano Prodi a significant change agent. “Europeans will continue to benefit from your idealism, dedication, commitment and achievements for many years to come”. Prior to the event, he visited the recently opened Munich Urban Colab, where TUM and UnternehmerTUM, the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, are working with startups, experienced companies, creatives, social actors and the city of Munich on sustainable smart city innovations.
At the panel discussion. 2021 © Thomas Kiewning
The ceremony included a panel discussion, where Romano Prodi, the students Fiona Burckhardt and Tamara Nauhardt as well as Prof. Eugénia da Conceição-Heldt, holder of the Chair of European and Global Governance, discussed the future of Europe. Europe’s most important task today is to maintain dialogue between the U.S. and China superpowers in the face of growing tensions, Prodi conclude.
Prof. Romano Prodi is considered one of the founders of the Italian school of industrial economics. He was a professor of economics and industrial policy at the University of Bologna from 1971 to 1999, and a visiting researcher at Harvard and Stanford. In addition to his outstanding academic achievements, he is also awarded an honorary doctorate for his ability to apply his scientific knowledge to social progress. Both as President of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004 and as Italian Prime Minister from 1996 to 1998 and from 2006 to 2008, he has made outstanding contributions in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship, industrial, competition and monetary policy. In this way, he has made a significant contribution to modernizing the EU and strengthening its economy.
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