Economist Steve Hanke knighted by the president of Albania

Steve Hanke, a professor in the Whiting School's Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, has been knighted by Republic of Albania President Ilir Meta.

Meta's declaration of the honor, which was announced Aug. 5, said:

Prof. Dr. Steve H. Hanke will hereby become a Knight of the Order of the Flag. Prof. Hanke is one of the world's most outstanding scholars and distinguished experts in the field of economics. He has provided significant contributions to the Republic of Albania, where he introduced and implemented the principles of market economy and sound money to the post-Communist Republic. Prof. Hanke has also undertaken important strategic initiatives that have facilitated the integration of the Republic of Albania into European and world markets, the integration of Albania into the Balkans, and the establishment of a strategic alliance with the United States of America.

The only other American to have received the recognition, which is one of Albania's highest honors, is Donald Rumsfeld, former secretary of defense, who was knighted in 2013.

Coronavirus travel restrictions prohibited a formal ceremony in Albania in August, but Hanke says that he expects an initiation ceremony to be held in Washington, D.C., in February, when Meta is scheduled to visit the United States, and that a ceremony will be held in Tirana, the country's capital, in late spring.

Read more about Hanke here and in this National Review piece about his knighthood.

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