(July 25, 2012) Professor Oliver Hart of the Harvard University Economics Department was awarded an honorary degree at the University of Warwick Summer Degree Congregation in a ceremony on Friday, July 20, 2012.
Professor Hart is the Andrew E. Furer Professor of Economics at Harvard University, where he has taught since 1993. Born in the U.K., he holds a B.A. in mathematics from King's College, Cambridge, an M.A. in economics from the University of Warwick, and a Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University. He taught at the London School of Economics and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before coming to Harvard.
Professor Hart is an honorary professor within the University of Warwick Department of Economics.
He has published a book (Firms, Contracts, and Financial Structure, Oxford University Press, 1995) and numerous journal articles. He has used his theoretical work on firms in two legal cases as a government expert, Black and Decker v. U.S.A. and WFC Holdings Corp. (Wells Fargo) v. U.S.A. He is a Fellow of the Econometric Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the British Academy and has several honorary degrees. He has been president of the American Law and Economics Association and a vice president of the American Economic Association.
His research examines the roles that ownership structure and contractual arrangements play in the governance and boundaries of corporations. His work has revolutionized the field of corporate finance.
Official announcement from the University of Warwick: Warwick Graduate and Harvard University Economist, Oliver Hart, to Receive Honorary Degree
Professor Hart’s faculty web page