Ole David Koht Norbye 1919 - 2014

Our dear colleague Ole David Koht Norbye passed away Sunday 7 December. He was 95 years old.

Ole David came to CMI in July 1961. He was one of the first economists hired by Just Faaland, and he became instrumental in establishing the Development Economics Research and Advisory Programme (DERAP) at CMI in 1965. In this programme the idea was that researchers   should share their time between research at CMI and advisory work in the newly independent countries in Africa and Asia. Ole David spent close to ten years as advisor to planning organizations in four developing countries: Pakistan, Kenya, the Sudan and Bangladesh. In Norway he was active and influential in public debates and as an observer and reporter on Norwegian development cooperation as well as international development issues. Ole David retired in 1989, but continued to do consultancy work for CMI. He published his last report in 1997 where he explored whether the work of the advisory teams had resulted in lasting improvements in developing countries.

Ole David was a true gentleman  and a valued colleague who was genuinely interested in his fellow researchers and what they were doing. He always found the time to read, comment and discuss our work. He continued to visit us at CMI until the end. We will miss him, and our thoughts are with his family.