Events and Conferences
Deep Engagement, Cutting Edge Research
Noted speakers are invited to the CDE to present public lectures and to conduct in-class seminars on topics related to the problems faced by developing countries. These lectures offer a unique opportunity for CDE fellows to interact with major policymakers in the field of economic development. The small class size gives each student access to the speaker and allows a meaningful exchange of ideas.
In addition to seminars, which follow the typical lecture format, the CDE also hosts Development Dialogues, a lunch series intended to facilitate interactive dialogue with policymakers, academics, fellows, and undergraduates.
UPCOMING EVENTS
More events coming soon! Check back later.
Conferences
2026 Conference
TOPIC TBA | April 9-11, 2026
A two-day conference bringing key economists to share their research on a topic of the year.
Past Conferences
Monetary Transmission in Developing Economies | April, 2025
Health and Development | April, 2024
Finance and Development | April, 2023
Gender and Economic Development | April, 2019
Technology and Financial Services | April, 2018
Climate Change and Development Policy | April, 2017
Tackling Global Poverty | April, 2016
Historical Persistence in Comparative Development | October, 2015
September 13-14, 2025 Alex Contreras Miranda (CDE '13, Peru)
August 24-25, 2024, Gelardina Prodani (CDE '09, Albania)
January 11-12, 2025, Abdoulaye Magassouba (CDE '11, Guinea)
May 31-June 1, 2025, Aban Haq (CDE '06, Pakistan)
Professional Development Teas
PAST EVENTS
Aban Haq (CDE ’06, Pakistan)
Ms. Aban Haq, Head of the Project Management Office and Member Engagement at the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI), visited CDE/Williams College for a special two-day event as part of the CDE/Per Jacobsson Foundation Speaker Series. On Saturday, May 31, 2025 Ms. Haq delivered a public talk titled “A Public Purpose Across Institutions,” in which she reflected…

Doug Irwin (Dartmouth)
Doug Irwin (Dartmouth)





Past Guest Speakers
Pierre-Richard Agenor, University of Manchester
Fakhruddin Ahmed, CDE ’71, former Chief Adviser of Bangladesh and former Governor of Bangladesh Bank
Oliver Babson, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Nancy Birdsall, Center for Global Development
Olivier Blanchard, International Monetary Fund
Stijn Claessens, International Monetary Fund
Angus Deaton, Princeton University and Nobel Prize Recipient
Karen Dynan, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and Chief Economist of the United States Department of the Treasury
Solomon Hsiang, University of California Berkeley
Ishrat Husain, CDE ’72, former Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan
Ahmed Kaikaus, CDE '00, World Bank
Michael Kremer, Harvard University
Eteri Kvintradze, CDE ’99, International Monetary Fund
Guillermo Ortiz, Banorte, formerly Banco Central de Mexico
Dani Rodrik, Harvard University
Andrew Steer, World Resources Institute
Joseph Stiglitz, Columbia University
Gary Teves, CDE ’68, former Secretary of the Department of Finance of the Philippines
Goh Chok Tong, CDE ’67, former Prime Minister of Singapore
David Weil, Brown University