Université Laval awards honorary doctorate to Michael E. Porter, father of modern competitive strategy

Québec City, September 28, 2015 – Université Laval rector Denis Brière today awarded an honorary doctorate to Michael E. Porter, an internationally renowned economist and key figure in modern competitive strategy.

Michael E. Porter, University Professor at the prestigious Harvard Business School, was among the first to apply economic theory to the competitive strategies of businesses. «The theories of Michael E. Porter are taught at all the world's business schools. In addition to advancing his field, this researcher has advised numerous NGOs and governments, sharing his knowledge for the benefit of society as a whole,» said Université Laval rector Denis Brière.

After making his mark with work on competition and business strategies, the renowned speaker and author of 19 books turned his attention to economic development and competitiveness. Michael E. Porter pioneered the concept of industrial clusters, a rigorous economic approach implemented in the United States, Europe, and a number of other countries.

In addition to his academic work, this renowned economist has shared his knowledge with various policy makers and economic development strategists. Michael E. Porter has also changed the relationship between businesses and philanthropy and social responsibility. He contributed to the development of the Social Progress Index, a tool that has been implemented in 132 countries.

«During his productive career, Michael E. Porter has been a meticulous and attentive student of modern economic issues, regularly reinventing himself along the way,» added Université Laval rector Denis Brière. Since the early 2000s, Michael E. Porter has dedicated himself to developing a conceptual framework for reorganizing the delivery of health care in a way that maximizes value for patients.

His recent work on the reimbursement of health care and measuring the real costs of health care has made Michael E. Porter an international authority on health network assessment.

About Université Laval
Université Laval, located in the world heritage city of Québec, is the oldest French-language university in North America. One of Canada's top research universities, it is ranked 8th among the country's institutions of higher learning, with a research budget of over$300 million last year. Université Laval boasts over 3,200 professors, lecturers, and teaching staff who share their knowledge with some 48,000 students, including 13,000 at the graduate level.